Arsenal have opened talks with Mikel Arteta regarding a new long-term contract at the Emirates Stadium, according to reports.

Is Mikel Arteta leaving Arsenal?

The Premier League boss was appointed by Edu and the Gunners back in December 2019 and has since gone on to take charge of 178 matches to date, and across those years, the 41-year-old has made a clear improvement on his squad, with the increased level of performance having a significant impact on their league standings.

During his first two seasons in the dugout, the Spaniard led the team to an eighth-place finish, in the third term that went up to fifth, and finally in the current campaign, they are guaranteed to end runners-up after just missing out on the top-flight title to rivals Manchester City, as per Transfermarkt.

The Gunners coach still has another two years remaining on his contract, but his transformative skills are no doubt bound to attract interest over the summer, so in a bid to fend off outside attention, the board are already making moves behind the scenes to ensure that they are able to retain his services for the long-term.

Are Arsenal offering Mikel Arteta a new contract?

According to Football Transfers, Arsenal have "started contract talks" with Arteta over an extension to his deal in N7. Edu and the rest of the hierarchy are "eager" to get him to commit his future as a "reward" for everything that he's achieved so far. The Donostia-San Sebastian native will not only see the length of his contract made longer, he is also set to receive an "increase" in his wages.

The Emirates Stadium manager is in "no rush" to sign on the dotted line, but "assurances" have been made to the likes of Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka that he will "be at the club" for the foreseeable.

According to journalist Josh Bunting, Arteta is a hugely “respected” figure at Arsenal and that is obvious for all to see considering the strong relationship he has both with his players and key officials behind the scenes, and when you look at how well he’s done during his tenure so far, accepting the fresh terms would be nothing less than he deserves.

Pep Guardiola’s former assistant, whose preferred formation is a 4-2-3-1, has won 104, drawn 27 and lost just 47 of his 178 games in charge in the capital, averaging 1.90 points per match, via Transfermarkt, and this consistent form has already started turning into silverware.

The Gunners have secured two trophies during his reign, the first being the FA Cup in 2019/20 and the second being the English Super Cup the following season, and despite failing to be crowned top-flight champions this time around, there’s no reason as to why they can’t be up there challenging again next term with the right additions in the summer transfer window.