Mikel Arteta Hints He Could Remain Arsenal Manager For Another Decade

Mikel Arteta sees himself at the club until he’s 50…

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has hinted that he could see himself at the club for another decade after celebrating his 40th birthday on Saturday.

The former club captain has just over a year left on his current contract with rumours rife that the club are set to offer him a new long-term contract in the summer.

Arteta has guided the team to fourth in the table so far, a remarkable turnaround after losing our first three league games in August.

No team with such a start has managed to finish in the top four before – the odds and history has been stacked against the Spaniard.

However, after a turbulent few years in which the relatively inexperienced coach had to deal with a number of issues on and off the field, he’s now firmly settled in the role.

Asked where he could see himself a decade from now, Arteta was unequivocal in his response.

“I think I will look older, that’s for sure!” The manager told Arsenal.com.

“I will have some more grey hair but I think I will still have the same passion about what I do.

“Hopefully by then we will have been able to take the club to a different level. I hope we’ll have made our people very proud of what we’ve done,” he added.

As a custodian of the club, Arteta will feel it’s natural for him to safeguard the club’s long-term future, even if managers in the modern era barely see out their initial contracts.

With Arteta, though, it does seem different. To put it simply, his paymasters have complete faith in him and at no point did it seem like he was going to be shown the exit door.

A contract extension this summer will feel like a formality, and it could be the first of many.