Mikel Arteta gives one-word answer when asked whether he has spoken about extending his Arsenal contract

Mikel Arteta has responded to a question about the prospect of extending his contract at Arsenal.

Speaking before his side’s match against West Ham this afternoon, Arteta was previewing another important match in the Premier League title race.

The gap at the top of the league has now been narrowed to just three points.

An Erling Haaland inspired Manchester City side easily dispatched Leicester City 3-1 yesterday.

It put the pressure back on Arsenal, who have frequently had to respond to their challenger’s results.

So far, they’ve dealt with that scenario expertly, however, the pressure is only going to keep building.

The future of several key Arsenal personnel has been widely discussed this season.

Gabriel Martinelli signed a new deal a few months ago, which is a huge boost to the club.

They’re also keen to tie down Bukayo Saka and William Saliba to longer deals in the near future.

Mikel Arteta’s contract will be another area of discussion at Arsenal in the summer.

He’s completely transformed the club, and will already have big plans for next season.

However, that may not be at the forefront of his mind with the title race becoming more intense.

Arteta coy over new Arsenal contract

Asked if there had been any talks about extending his contract further, Arteta said: “No.

“The appropriate time is now to focus on winning as many games as we can to achieve what we want.”

It’s a sensible suggestion from Arteta, who want won’t his Arsenal contract distracting from the task at hand.

Manchester City are playing their best football of the season, and the Gunners can’t afford any slip-ups.

With the league so competitive at both ends right now, even teams near the bottom of the table will pose a tough task.

Mikel Arteta will know that, and instead of talking about a hypothetical new contract, he wants all focus to be on Arsenal’s next game.