Mikel Arteta has told Arsenal fans not to worry about his contract situation and insisted he is happy to stay at the club despite entering the final year of his deal.
Arteta was expected to have already finalised an extension to his current agreement which expires at the end of the season, but all parties have chosen instead to focus on the summer transfer window.
The 44-year-old joined the Gunners in December 2019 and owners Kroenke Sports Enterprises are keen to tie Arteta down — given years of sustained progress continued last season with their first Premier League title since 2004.
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Ahead of Sunday’s Community Shield clash with Manchester City in Cardiff, Arteta said: “They [the fans] don’t have to worry about any of that, because I want to be here. I am extremely happy. I feel very grateful to work with the people that I work with and when we have the possibility, we will resolve that. And that’s it.
“There is always another priority, I think! And that’s the way we have been treating it, I think because everybody feels comfortable that the time on the contract is not going to be an issue.
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“I think because my will, certainly, is to be here and I am very happy here. My feeling from the club is the same one. That is why everyone is doing things in a really organic way.”
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