Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said there was no time to discuss a contract extension at this time.
Arsenal have reportedly held initial talks with Arteta on his current contract, which expires at the end of next season, and are reportedly heading in a positive direction.
Arteta downplayed the talks in a press conference on Friday, saying: “There is no news on that.” “I don’t have time to talk about it right now. I’m fully focused on what we have to do from here until the end of the season.”
Arteta has been at the club for six-and-a-half years and has finished runners-up in the Premier League three times, but has only won one trophy, the FA Cup in 2020.
Arsenal hold a nine-point lead over Manchester City with seven games remaining and are firmly in the running for a place in the Champions League semi-finals.
Arteta believes he and the club still have much to achieve.
He added: “I’m working hard here. I’m really happy, I’m feeling good, my family is good. I still have a lot of ambition and a lot of work to do at this club. We’re in a good place at the moment.”
“This job is about the present and what you do on that day. I want you to give your best and feel that you are the person who can lead and inspire the group to achieve great things for the club.”
“And I feel that way and hopefully feel that way for the rest of the week and hopefully get a great result at the end of the season.”
Analysis: Is it best to be under Arteta?
Nick Wright of Sky Sports:
Some Arsenal fans may feel that Arteta needs a big gold medal to be rewarded with a new contract, but there is no doubting how much he has already achieved for the club.
His three consecutive second-place finishes have been a source of ridicule for some. Arteta and his players need to show they can get over the line eventually. But they also represent a level of consistency through recent seasons that few teams have matched.
Arteta embraced the post-Arsene Wenger era and oversaw a complete transformation. Progress is also evident in Europe. Arsenal are on the brink of reaching back-to-back Champions League semi-finals for the first time, firmly re-establishing themselves among the continent’s elite.
While rivals Manchester City and Liverpool have benefited greatly from the contributions of star players such as Erling Haaland and Mohamed Salah in recent years, Arsenal’s strength lies in the team as a whole and the qualities instilled in them by their manager.
Arteta still has something to prove to his critics. Apart from a few Community Shields, the 2020 FA Cup has been their only trophy so far. But he has already taken the club to a completely different level, raising hopes that his best days are yet to come.
