Former Rangers midfielder Mikel Arteta is set to be offered a bumper new contract in an attempt to convince him to stay on as Arsenal manager [The Sun].
Arteta, who played for the Gers between 2002 and 2004, was given the Arsenal job in 2019 after a stint as assistant manager to Pep Guardiola at Manchester City.
Since then, there have been plenty of highs and lows.
The Gunners won the 2019/20 FA Cup but at the beginning of the current campaign, they lost their opening three Premier League matches and the ex-Ger came under major scrutiny.
Right now, the general feeling is that things are on the up at the Emirates, though, with Arteta’s side sixth in the table after winning six of their last eight league fixtures.
Ex-Rangers star Arteta to be offered bumper new Arsenal manager contract
The Sun reports that Arsenal owner Stan Kroenke’s ‘top priority’ is sorting out a new deal for the manager.
Arteta is tied down until the summer of 2023 on a £5m-a-year contract but the Gunners are keen to avoid him entering the final 12 months of it.
Therefore, it’s asserted that they are set to offer him a new £8.3m-a-year deal, which is said to be the same amount earned by Arsene Wenger in his final season in charge.
If he accepted these terms, Arteta would still be earning considerably less than managers of some other top Premier League clubs, but £8.3m is still an eye-wateringly large salary.
It’s also said that Arsenal will splash the cash in the summer transfer window, so things are certainly falling into place for the 39-year-old.
Some see Arteta as a potential future Rangers manager, due in part to his previous success at the club as a player.
However, any switch to the Ibrox hot seat looks some way off right now, with Kroenke clearly seeing him as the man to lead Arsenal into a new era.
Meanwhile, an English player brilliantly copied Alfredo Morelos’ celebration after scoring a winner in the EFL Championship on Tuesday.