José Mourinho Aims Dig At Mikel Arteta After Contract Renewal

Mikel Arteta committed his future to Arsenal earlier this week, as he signed a deal which would see him remain in north London until 2030.

After Arsenal won the Premier League last season for the first time in 22 years, both Arteta and the club were keen to continue their journey together. The club showed their appreciation by making him the highest-paid manager in the league, with his new deal reportedly worth in the region of £20million per year. 

Arteta was appointed Arsenal head coach in December 2019, returning to the club he had previously captained after winning the league title as Pep Guardiola’s assistant at Manchester City. 

The Spaniard won the FA Cup and Community Shield in the first year of his tenure, though poor league results left him under scrutiny by fans and pundits alike.

Though the Premier League title initially proved elusive with three consecutive second-place finishes, Arsenal finally lifted English football’s greatest domestic prize last May.

However, the UEFA Champions League final just days later ended in penalty shootout heartbreak against Paris Saint-Germain, and Arteta’s new deal will give him further opportunities to bring the trophy to north London.

After putting the pen to paper, he explained, ‘We have already built a special bond and created memories that will last a lifetime, and what is so exciting is that this is only the beginning of what we can achieve together.’

Arsenal have started their title defence with four wins and one loss in their opening league fixtures, and sit second behind Manchester City, who hold a perfect record under Enzo Maresca this campaign.

Arteta will hope to become the fourth manager in Premier League history to retain the title, after Sir Alex Ferguson, José Mourinho and Pep Guardiola.

Mourinho, now managing Real Madrid who sit fourth in Spain’s LaLiga after seven fixtures, does not believe that Arteta would have been afforded the same time at the Bernabéu as Arsenal have given him.

Speaking in a press conference before hosting Villarreal tomorrow night, Mourinho claimed, ‘Yesterday, I read something curious that shouldn’t happen at Madrid. Mikel Arteta renewed his contract at Arsenal. He’s been there four or five years and said they’re still just starting and that there’s a lot to do.’

He continued, 'What might be normal for others isn’t here. Madrid has won so much that everything has a different magnitude.'

The Portuguese boss is unfamiliar with the kind of stability they Arteta has enjoyed, having managed five clubs in five countries since the Spaniard returned to The Emirates in 2019.

Mourinho appeared to play a large role in the Gunners’ failed pursuit of Vinicius Júnior this summer, as the Brazilian eventually decided to extend his stay in Madrid instead of making the move to north London.

The pair travel to Arsenal with Real Madrid in December, when the sides meet in the league phase of the Champions League. He will be looking to register Madrid’s first ever victory over Arsenal, though his last meeting with Arteta ended in a north London derby defeat in March 2021.

Before then, Arsenal gear up to host Leeds United on Saturday afternoon, marking the return to club action after the international break.