The man now earning more than any other manager in the Premier League is Mikel Arteta. With Pep Guardiola gone from Manchester City, Arteta’s new deal at Arsenal pushes him to the top of English football’s managerial pay table, with success bonuses potentially lifting his earnings toward the £20 million-a-year mark.
Arsenal confirmed on Wednesday that Arteta has signed a new contract keeping him at the Emirates Stadium until 2030.
His previous deal was due to expire at the end of this season, and while all parties described the situation as relaxed, there was a clear desire to reward the 44-year-old.
The BBC reported that the new deal includes a pay rise from his existing £10 million annual salary, with a further £5 million available in bonuses.
The precise value of the agreement is tightly guarded, but performance bonuses tied to league position, cup progression, and Champions League results could push the total figure toward £20 million per year.
Already the longest-serving manager in the Premier League, Arteta’s latest deal follows extensions he signed in 2022 and 2024 and will keep him at the club until 2030, by which point he will have completed a decade in the Emirates dugout.
Arteta began his Arsenal reign in December 2019 and has overseen the club’s return to the summit of English football, winning their first league title in 22 years last season. He also led the Gunners to their first Champions League final in two decades, losing to Paris Saint-Germain on penalties.
The 44-year-old has now managed Arsenal across 361 matches in all competitions. His 62.05% winning percentage is the highest recorded by any full-time manager in the club’s history.
Arteta is also the longest-serving manager in the top four divisions of English football, with December set to mark his seventh year at the club, a tenure that has produced five trophies and a Champions League runners-up medal.
Arteta, speaking through the club’s official statement, said: “It’s a privilege to commit my future to the club and to continue to work with exceptional people.” He described Arsenal as unique, adding that he felt “honored to be leading this club through such a special period in its 140-year history.”
Arsenal CEO Richard Garlick, confirming the deal, said the extension represented an important step as the club sought to build a sustained period of success. “Mikel has the belief, determination, and understanding of what it takes to build something remarkable and enduring here,” Garlick said.
Co-chairmen Stan and Josh Kroenke, in a joint statement, said Arteta “carries Arsenal’s values in his heart” and is “committed to building on everything we have achieved together.”
Arsenal are also understood to be in the process of renewing the contracts of Arteta’s backroom staff, including assistant manager Carlos Cuesta, with the club hoping that stability across the coaching setup will support a second successive Premier League title this season.
Arsenal currently sit second in the Premier League, three points behind leaders Manchester City, after a 3-0 defeat by Brighton before the international break.
The Gunners do not play again until October 10, when domestic action resumes following the extended international break.
There had been speculation that Arteta could be targeted by clubs including Real Madrid and Barcelona, but the Spaniard remained committed to Arsenal throughout, with his future now formally confirmed.
One factor the club repeatedly pointed to was Arteta’s work rebuilding the connection between Arsenal and its supporters, a relationship that was badly fractured when he arrived. Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets of London to celebrate last season’s Premier League triumph.
Arsenal’s title last season was the club’s 14th English league crown and fourth Premier League title. The new agreement to 2030 gives the club stability as it pursues further major trophies and Arteta chases his place among the most decorated managers in Arsenal history.
