Arsenal are reportedly in no hurry to finalise a new contract with manager Mikel Arteta as both parties are ‘relaxed’ over the manager’s future.
The Spaniard is now in the final 18 months of his deal at the Emirates Stadium and has made steady progress during his four years in the job, winning the FA Cup during his first year in charge, while last season’s second-place finish in the Premier League marked the Gunners’ best league campaign since the 2015-16 season.
Arsenal topped the Premier League before Christmas, only for a poor run of form, which has seen them win just one of their last five league matches, seeing them drop down to fourth place. But according to Fabrizio Romano, no panic buttons are being pressed in the Emirates boardroom.
Romano reports in his Caught Offside column that the club are ‘not in a rush’ to get him to sign a new deal and are ‘very happy’ with his management. Arteta himself, he adds, ‘loves’ Arsenal as he enters a fifth calendar year in the Emirates dugout.
"At the moment Arsenal’s priority is to focus on the January window and getting better results on the pitch as soon as possible,” Romano adds.
Arsenal’s recent poor run of form has coincided with a lack of offensive firepower, leading for calls from fans to add a new striker during the January transfer window. Any major additions are unlikely following the club's £200million summer spending spree, although they have been linked with a move for Bologna striker Joshua Kirkzee this week.
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