Piers Morgan has questioned why Arsenal have decided to reward Mikel Arteta with a new three-year contract.
The Spaniard has been in charge at The Emirates since replacing Unai Emery at the back end of 2019. In his first season in charge, he won the FA Cup, before a difficult second campaign saw them miss out on Europe for the first time in a quarter of a century.
However, after being backed to the tune of almost £150million in the summer transfer window, Arsenal have enjoyed a much improved season and are now in the battle for a return to the Champions League for the first time since 2016/17. And ahead of the final four games of the Premier League season, Arteta has confirmed his commitment to the club, signing an extension which will see him tied to the club until the summer of 2025.
Despite having a much-improved season, Morgan has doubted Arsenal for giving Arteta a new deal. He added that the club should have probably waited until 'he achieves something'.
Morgan said: "WHAT? Maybe wait until he achieves something? Why is he getting this now?"
After extending his stay at the Emirates Stadium, Arteta admitted he was grateful to the club for the opportunity as he aims to guide Arsenal in the Champions League this season. To take the Gunners to the next level, he is hoping to qualify for the top tier European competition.
Does Mikel Arteta deserve his new contract? Let us know in the comments below!
“I’m excited, grateful and really, really happy today,” he told the club’s official website. "When I spoke to Josh [Kroenke] he could see the club at the same point and he wanted to take the club the way I wanted to do it. So everything that he’s said, and that Stan has said when I’ve been together with both of them, they’ve always delivered.
“We want to take the club to the next level and to compete really with the top teams. In order to do that, we have to be playing in the Champions League.
"We have to be able to evolve the team, improve our players, improve all departments, generate even more connection with our fans, improve the atmosphere at the Emirates, be able to recruit top, top talent and the best people for this club to drive this project to that level.”