Arsenal close to new long-term contract for Arteta

Arsenal are in the final stages of negotiating a new long-term contract with manager Mikel Arteta, with well-placed sources indicating talks have progressed in recent weeks and full confidence on both sides that the Spaniard will renew, according to BBC Sport. The agreement has not yet been formally announced, but the club is described as finalising terms with its head coach, whose current deal expires at the end of June. Arteta, 44, has been in charge since December 2019 and is now the longest-serving manager in the Premier League. Under his leadership, Arsenal won their first Premier League title in 22 years in May, lifted the FA Cup and reached the Champions League final, where they lost on penalties to Paris Saint-Germain. The club are firm favourites for the title this season, and executives are keen to remove any uncertainty over the manager's future. The new contract is expected to make Arteta one of the best-paid managers in world football. His current terms are reported to be worth 10 million pounds per season, plus a 5 million pound bonus for Champions League qualification, and the fresh deal is expected to improve on those figures.