Arsenal are set to offer Mikel Arteta a lucrative new contract after he ended the club's 22-year wait for a Premier League title, making him one of the best-paid managers in the world. Talks over extending his deal, which currently pays around £10m a season plus a £5m Champions League bonus, were paused during the title race but will resume after the Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain. Arteta's new salary could approach that of Atlético Madrid's Diego Simeone, reportedly the world's highest-paid manager at €30m (£26m) a year.
The 44-year-old became the second-youngest manager to win the Premier League, after José Mourinho, and matched Kenny Dalglish's feat of winning the top flight in his first senior management role. He has transformed Arsenal since his appointment in December 2019 and is expected to become the longest-serving manager in England's top four divisions when Pep Guardiola leaves Manchester City after Sunday's final game.
Arsenal are also advancing plans to strengthen the squad, with a forward as the priority. Bournemouth striker Eli Junior Kroupi, 19, is a target after his goal against City helped seal the title. He broke the record for most goals by a teenager in a debut season with 13 and could be valued at around £80m. Other targets include Julián Alvarez, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Bradley Barcola, Nico Williams and Anthony Gordon, though Kvaratskhelia is seen as a dream signing unlikely to be sold by PSG. Gabriel Martinelli could be allowed to leave if a suitable offer arrives.
Interest in Newcastle's Sandro Tonali may be revived, but Myles Lewis-Skelly's performances as a midfielder could shift priorities. Ethan Nwaneri, who spent the second half of the season on loan at Marseille, is wanted by Borussia Dortmund. Departures could include Christian Nørgaard and Gabriel Jesus, while Arsenal are in talks to sign 16-year-old Leicester winger Jeremy Monga.
