Jorginho has now revealed his ‘honest’ thoughts about the prospect of Mikel Arteta leaving Arsenal after the manager admitted that he has not debated a new contract.
Arteta has been in charge at Emirates Stadium since December 2019 but is entering the final year of his contract. Arsenal have not extended the Spaniard’s terms since May 2022 with an agreement to stay until June 2025. It was also just the second contract he has so far signed.
Arsenal even left it until Arteta approached the final 12 months of his initial contract to hand the tactician new terms. He replaced Unai Emery at their helm as the club’s head coach on a deal to June 2023. The Gunners promoted Arteta to the role of manager in September 2020.
Jorginho does not believe Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta ‘wants to go’
Giving Arteta greater responsibilities in 2020 and a contract extension in 2022 have paid off hugely for Arsenal. He has transformed the north London outfit’s future to challenge for the Premier League title in 2022/23 and 23/24 after taking eighth in the 19/20 and 20/21 tables.
Arteta also led Arsenal to the quarter-finals of the Champions League for the first time since 2010 this season. So, Jorginho has now called on the Emirates Stadium team to do for Arteta what Arsenal have done for him by awarding the manager a new contract as a main priority.
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Jorginho believes it is crucial that Arsenal lock Arteta up with a new contract as he, Edu and the board are creating ‘something special’. The Italian, who signed a new deal to June 2025 on Thursday, also thinks Arteta does not want to leave the Gunners and what he is building.
“I feel that he could stay way longer,” Jorginho stated, via quotes by the Evening Standard. “I feel he feels good here and I honestly don’t see him going.
“It is really important for the club for him to stay because him, with Edu and the board, the whole club, they created something special. I don’t believe he wants to go, as well.”
Mikel Arteta has ‘nothing’ to report on signing a new contract
While Jorginho believes Arsenal should be gunning to tie Arteta down, the north Londoners are yet to move. Arteta noted that there was ‘nothing’ to report in terms of Arsenal offering him a new contract in April. But he and the Gunners are happy to let the situation continue.
“No, nothing,” he said, via Goal. “I am really happy. I still have a year in my contract, that’s a long time in football. The players are happy, the club is happy, no issues. I’m just focusing on the games and winning football matches, and that’s the most important thing right now.”
Arteta’s claims also followed speculation linking the Spaniard with replacing Xavi Hernandez at FC Barcelona. The Blaugrana studied hiring their academy product after Xavi affirmed he was going. But Xavi will stay after the Blaugrana convinced their club legend to pull a U-turn.