Image source, Getty Images. By. Sami Mokbel. Senior football correspondent. 9 April 2026. 565 Comments. For Arsenal, it’s all about the here and now. Seven games from winning their first Premier League in 22 years and within touching distance of the Champions League semi-final.. Mikel Arteta is on course to come good on his mantra: “trust the process”.. That said, there is no sense that any glory in May would mark the culmination of Arteta’s work or ambitions.. The summer is seen as an opportunity for the club to take another step forward, regardless of how the end of this season pans out.. But there are some crucial decisions looming.. There’s Arteta’s own contract which is up at the end of next season.. And then there is the question of who to let leave to help fund the signing of three key new players.. At present, it appears the club will listen to offers for top England prospects Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri. Academy players can be counted as “pure profit” in the accounts so would provide the biggest transfer fund boost.. BBC Sport delves into all the issues that will shape Arsenal’s summer and why renegotiating the manager’s deal is the priority.. Ambition and pay set to be key factors in contract talks. In the era of the head coach, Arteta is a football manager in the traditional sense.. Few enjoy the level of autonomy the Spaniard does.. He has earned that power, of course, after improving Arsenal over his tenure.. Silverware, the first since an FA Cup in his first year, will serve to tighten that grip.. So it is perhaps surprising, with that attention to detail, that Arteta will soon be in the final year of his contract.. It is understood initial discussions have taken place and are described as heading in a positive direction.. Given the magnitude of what is on the horizon on the pitch, all parties are understood to agree that it isn’t the right time with the full focus on the season finale.. But sources have indicated that talks will restart in the close season. From the ownership and club’s perspective, extending Arteta’s deal is what they want – and the manager is also keen to commit. Both parties want to build on their work together.. Arsenal are currently nine points clear at the top of the Premier League and on course for back-to-back Champions League semi-finals for the first time in the club’s history.. Not winning a trophy this season would, of course, arrive as a major disappointment but it cannot be disputed that the club have taken giant strides under Arteta.. They have reached three consecutive Champions League quarter-finals and consistently challenged for the domestic title for the first time since the early days of Arsene Wenger’s reign.. You’d imagine that Arteta will be aware that he is unlikely to be afforded the level of influence he currently has at any other club in Europe.. Yet, with that said, finances will be a key factor once discussions recommence.. Arteta is understood to want assurances that the club
