Fabrizio Romano said Mikel Arteta remains in conversations with Arsenal over a new contract, but nothing will be done or completed now, leaving the manager in place while the club chases two trophies.
Romano, the transfer and contract reporter, was clear about timing: "It’s a topic for after the end of the season. Now the full focus is on the Premier League title and Champions League." That focus, Romano said, explains why the club and manager are not rushing to conclude a renewal even though discussions are ongoing.
Arteta has another year left on his existing contract, a fact that gives Arsenal breathing room while they press on the field. He is currently the second-highest paid manager in the Premier League on roughly £15 million per season, with Pep Guardiola still occupying the top spot in the pay rankings.
Romano repeated that point about timing more than once: "Mikel Arteta remains in conversations with Arsenal over a new contract, but nothing will be done or completed now." He added that when the club’s immediate campaign is over, the parties will be able to return to the table: "After that, any moment could be good for Arsenal and Arteta to continue their conversations and try to close the agreement over a new deal."
The numbers underline why this is a pause, not an impasse. With one year left on his deal and a salary that places him second among Premier League managers, Arteta is not on an imminent contractual cliff. Arsenal, meanwhile, are still competing for the Premier League title for the first time since 2004 and could win their first-ever Champions League, giving both club and coach a far greater near-term priority than paperwork.
That creates a clear tension. Arsenal and Arteta are talking, but Romano’s timetable puts the substantive work after the season rather than before it, which avoids distraction but leaves open how quickly the parties will move once the fixtures end. The delay protects the club’s focus now but demands a rapid reset into negotiations once the season closes if Arsenal want certainty over their manager’s long-term future.
The immediate consequence is simple: no deal will be announced before the season concludes and Arteta will remain under his current contract for at least another year. What happens next is already mapped out by Romano’s account — talks will resume after the season and any moment then "could be good for Arsenal and Arteta to continue their conversations and try to close the agreement over a new deal."
That chronology makes the coming weeks on the pitch decisive. If Arsenal secure the Premier League title or go deep in the Champions League, the club will enter contract talks from a position of success; if not, the same timeline still governs when discussions can be concluded. Either way, Romano’s update leaves one immediate certainty: Arsenal will not let negotiations become a sideline during the club’s most consequential run of matches in years.
