Mikel Arteta, manager of Arsenal celebrates with the Premier League trophy after the Premier League match between Crystal Palace and Arsenal at Selhurst Park
Mikel Arteta has been rewarded a new contract for winning the Premier League title(Image: Getty)
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Mikel Arteta is already the longest-serving manager in the Premier League.
And now his new deal will take him beyond ten years in charge, beyond Jurgen Klopp's tenure at Liverpool and hurtling past Pep Guardiola'sdecade at Manchester City.
But it is impossible to believe he will ever get close to the 20 years plus that both Arsene Wenger and Sir Alex Ferguson had at Arsenal and Manchester United.
Furthermore, I think this could be Arteta’s last deal at Arsenal. Over ten years would be some achievement.
But the reason I think it may be his last is that the manager’s job has changed so much, it is so demanding and so gruelling that it breaks lesser, mere mortals.
You have to be some sort of Superman to carry on - and succeed - for this long. Arteta is defying sleep, logic and reason.
Endless meetings, endless demands and endless planning. His diary is planned to the minute. Every department of the club wants a piece of him. The job is so different to what it was.
It is utterly draining and I just think Arsenal should savour every minute he is in charge.
What a job he has done. Arteta took charge in December 2019 and inherited a club which was dear to his heart - and a club in an absolute mess.
Pep Guardiola, Manager of Manchester City, and Mikel Arteta, Manager of Arsenal, interact prior to the Premier League match between Manchester City and Arsenal at Etihad Stadium
Pep Guardiola managed a decade at Man City before standing down(Image: Getty)
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The job he has done has been nothing short of remarkable. I genuinely think the biggest thing he has done - and it comes before the first title in 22 years - is reconnecting with the fan base. They had become disillusioned and were unhappy.
Now, Arsenal fans are connected, engaged and they even sing that awful North London Forever. That’s how much they’ve bought into it.
Last week we had the City verdict and that showed the scale of the job Arteta and the rest - like Klopp and Co - have done up even compete. Naturally Arteta will face some questions over his time at City and what he knew. That will take some navigating.
But Arteta’s crowning glory is the first title in 22 years. That was sensational and shows just what a job he has done.
To rebuild a fractured squad and a broken club, to turn them into champions… they finished second and needed to find a way to win. Arteta cracked it.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta with co-chair Josh Kroenke and owner Stan Kroenke after the Premier League match between Crystal Palace and Arsenal at Selhurst Park.
Arteta will now go all out to add the Champions League to the Premier League(Image: Stuart MacFarlane, Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
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Another reason why I think this may be Arteta’s last contract is that he will go full out to win the Champions League.
Arteta was absolutely gutted after losing the final. It hurt him so much. Haunted him all summer. But he wants to go back and win it more than anything.
There was a summer after his first title push where Arteta talked about questioning whether he could stay and had enough to complete the job. PSG were keen at that time. He could have gone. But he stayed to finish the job.
That is why I think Arteta will see the Champions League as his next target and he will not give up until he wins it. But I’m convinced he can do it within his next contract.