Arsenal are on the verge of tying down manager Mikel Arteta to a new contract, with talks understood to have progressed significantly in recent weeks despite the club's transfer window now being closed until January.
Arteta's existing deal has just nine months left to run, but there is said to be little concern among those involved in negotiations that a resolution will not be reached. Sources close to the discussions suggest an agreement is essentially a formality at this stage, with both parties keen to extend a partnership that has reshaped the club's fortunes since December 2019.
Arteta himself addressed the situation last month, dismissing any suggestion that the timing of a new deal posed a problem. "Everybody feels comfortable that the timing of the contract is not going to be an issue because my will certainly is to be here and I'm very happy here," he said. "My feeling from the club is the same one. That's why everyone is doing things in a very organic way."
Arsenal chief executive Richard Garlick echoed that sentiment, describing the confirmation of Arteta's new deal as simply a "matter of time."
The financial terms of the renewed contract are expected to represent a substantial upgrade on his current arrangement, which pays £10m annually with a further £5m bonus tied to Champions League qualification. Once signed, Arteta is set to rank among the highest-paid coaches anywhere in the game.
The Spaniard's influence at the Emirates Stadium has grown steadily since he took charge nearly six years ago, a tenure that already makes him the longest-serving manager across the Premier League and EFL. Under his guidance, Arsenal have gone from missing out on Champions League football to lifting the Premier League title last season for the first time in 22 years. The club now enter the new campaign as strong favourites to defend that crown, while also being considered genuine contenders to win the Champions League for the first time in their history.
Arteta's standing within the organisation extends well beyond the training ground. Much like Arsene Wenger in an earlier era, he is regarded as the dominant footballing voice at the club, with virtually no major first-team decision made without his input. That authority was on full display during the summer transfer window, when Arteta personally led Arsenal's efforts to try to lure Julian Alvarez and Vinicius Jr to north London. Although both pursuits ultimately fell through, the scale of the attempted deals signalled the ownership's willingness to back Arteta financially in pursuit of elite additions.
Arsenal did complete significant business elsewhere, bringing in Bruno Guimaraes and Ezri Konsa, both players who will turn 30 next year but were viewed as important, proven additions to a squad already among the most experienced in the Premier League, with an average age of 26.2.
That blend of ambition and continuity appears central to why Arteta remains committed to Arsenal for now. While a future return to Spain, potentially with Real Madrid or Barcelona, has long been speculated upon, Arteta is understood to recognise he may not enjoy the same level of control at those institutions, given their history of internal politics.
For now, his focus remains firmly on Arsenal, where a new contract - expected imminently - would extend his stay toward a decade in charge and further cement his position as the driving force behind the club's resurgence.
Based on reporting from BBC Sport.