New: Arsenal close to sealing important deal, fighting off Barcelona & Saudi interest

Arsenal are reportedly close to tying down manager Mikel Arteta to a new contract despite him attracting the interest of Barcelona and Saudi Pro League clubs.

Arteta is said to be gearing up to put pen to paper on a new deal with the Gunners, with the Spanish tactician remaining firmly committed to the north London club.

Although Arteta is seen as a long-term option for Barca, it seems he’s going nowhere for the moment, according to TEAMtalk.

Their report adds that the Arsenal manager also had enquiries from Saudi giants Al Nassr and Al Ittihad during the summer.

Arsenal need to keep Mikel Arteta for as long as possible

In Arteta, Arsenal have probably the most exciting coach in world football right now.

The 44-year-old led Arsenal to Premier League title success last season, ending the club’s 22-year wait to lift the trophy again.

Arteta also guided Arsenal to only their second ever appearance in the Champions League final, where they were genuinely unlucky to only lose on penalties against Paris Saint-Germain.

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It’s clear that if AFC are to continue to improve and compete for the biggest trophies, then they need to keep Arteta as their manager for as long as possible.

The former Manchester City coach has revolutionised the team in ways that would have seemed impossible five years ago.

Arsenal in a position to dominate

If Arsenal can get Arteta’s contract done while their rivals continue to chop and change manager, they could be in a really good position to dominate the Premier League for years to come.

Chelsea, Liverpool, and Manchester City all hired new managers this summer, while Michael Carrick and Roberto De Zerbi are also relatively new at Manchester United and Tottenham, respectively.

This surely puts Arsenal in a great position, with Arteta having had years now to build this squad in his image, and with new signings like Bruno Guimaraes and Christos Tzolis looking like they can also take the team to another level.