Arsenal are closing in on a new long-term contract for manager Mikel Arteta, with well-placed sources confirming that discussions have advanced significantly in recent weeks and that all parties involved are confident a deal will be finalised.

Arteta's current contract has nine months remaining, but any uncertainty over his future was put firmly to rest last month when the Spaniard spoke with characteristic directness: "Everybody feels comfortable that the timing of the contract is not going to be an issue because my will certainly is to be here and I'm very happy here."

"My feeling from the club is the same one. That's why everyone is doing things in a very organic way."

Arsenal's chief executive Richard Garlick has also described the renewal as a "matter of time," underscoring the mutual commitment between club and manager.

One of football's best-paid managers

When signed, Arteta's new deal is expected to make him one of the highest-earning managers in world football. The club have committed to a substantial improvement on his current arrangement, which is worth £10 million per season plus an additional £5 million upon UEFA Champions League qualification.

His six years at the Emirates Stadium already make Arteta the longest-serving manager across the Premier League and EFL — a reign that his new contract will extend toward a full decade in north London.

The most powerful figure at Arsenal

Arteta's authority at Arsenal goes well beyond the training pitch. Much like Arsene Wenger in his prime, he is the most influential figure at the club from a footballing standpoint. Nothing at first-team level moves without his approval, and when Arsenal made approaches for Vinicius Jr and Julian Alvarez last month, it was Arteta who led the pursuit personally.

For Arsenal's ownership, the prospect of losing Arteta is simply not one they are prepared to entertain. While a return to Spain and the allure of Real Madrid or Barcelona may one day beckon, Arteta understands that neither club could offer him the level of authority he commands in north London — institutions historically weighed down by internal politics.

A squad built to win trophies

Arsenal's squad, shaped in Arteta's image, has an average age of 26.2 years — among the oldest in the Premier League — suggesting a group at the peak of its collective powers. Having delivered Arsenal's first Premier League title in 22 years last season, the club are now overwhelming favourites to retain it and are considered genuine contenders to lift the UEFA Champions League for the first time in their history.

The summer signings of Bruno Guimaraes and Ezri Konsa, both of whom turn 30 next year, represent significant investment. Combined with the ambitious — if ultimately unsuccessful — pursuits of Vinicius Jr and Alvarez, those moves gave Arteta clear evidence that Arsenal's American owners are prepared to back him with elite-level spending.

That kind of footballing ambition, sources indicate, was central to Arteta's requirements as contract talks progressed. With those assurances in hand and a landmark deal on the horizon, there is every sign that Arteta's chapter at Arsenal is far from over.