Mikel Arteta has been doing a phenomenal job at Arsenal and even Simon Jordan, a man who is hard to impress, is blown away.
The Spaniard was appointed as the Gunners boss back in December 2019, about a month after Unai Emery was shown the door. Arsenal was a toxic place back then, but things are very different now.
Arteta is the biggest reason why.
Simon Jordan tells Arsenal to give Mikel Arteta a new contract
Mikel Arteta won the FA Cup and Community Shield in his first year as the Arsenal manager.
That was an excellent achievement considering all the problems there were back then, but soon, all the issues rose to the top. Arsenal finished eighth in the Spaniard’s first full season at the club and then blew the opportunity to finish inside the top four last season.
Many fans, pundits and the media called for Arteta’s sacking on numerous occasions during those two years, but Arsenal’s board stuck by him, and they are now reaping the rewards.
Arteta has led to Arsenal to the top of the Premier League table, and Jordan is beyond impressed. He has urged Stan Kroenke and co to tie him down to a new deal.
He wrote in his column on The Daily Mail: “Back in 2019 when Arteta walked through the door, the club was in disarray and unrecognisable from the one we see today. And that is all down to Arteta.
“They are here to stay and Arsenal must make sure Arteta is too. He is a force to be reckoned with. Tie him down, secure his future, let him complete the rebuilding job – and whatever you do, don’t return the favour to City and gift them Arteta when Pep Guardiola leaves.”
TBR View:
Arteta is one of the best managers in the Premier League and perhaps even the world.
The Spaniard has not just transformed Arsenal on the pitch, but he has completely changed the culture of the club behind the scenes as well. There’s now a very strong relationship with the supporters too, which is a key reason why the Gunners are where they are.
Arteta signed a new £160,000-a-week contract at Arsenal in April last year. That does not expire until the summer of 2025, but Jordan is right, the Gunners should extend that right away.
The Spaniard is the most important man at the club now and Arsenal cannot afford to lose him to Manchester City or anybody else.
