Mikel Arteta offers update on Arsenal future with telling three-word admission

Mikel Arteta has 18 months remaining on his current contract as Arsenal manager

Mikel Arteta says he has to “earn the right” to stay at Arsenal beyond the remaining 18 months of his contract.

After reaching his sixth anniversary in the role, questions about his future have been sparked amid discussions about whether Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola and Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca will remain at their respective clubs for much longer.

Asked if he could see himself spending more time beyond the time left on his deal, he said, “Yes, but it is about today and a lot of things have to happen in the next few months, as well, to earn the right.

“I think the manager has to earn the right to be here tomorrow. That is how you react, how you talk here, how you go in the dressing room, the message that you send, how much the players follow you.

“I always said that you need support, I said it before. From the ownership and the board, it’s great. At the end, the most important one is those players.

“You open that door, you confront them, you talk to them, and they are like this [imitates engaged expression], or they are like this [pretends to sleep]. And for six years, I have seen just players with a level of attention and desire to learn, and give the maximum to the team.

“That is what keeps me in this job. Nothing else. And, obviously, winning a lot of football matches that, percentage-wise, I think is quite high. That is the only way. If not, you cannot survive in this environment.”

Arteta also offered an update on the return of Kai Havertz, who Arteta revealed is close to a return following knee surgery in August.

“Yeah, (Kai) is progressing really well and quite fast in the last few weeks,” the Spaniard confirmed. “If everything continues like that in the next training sessions, he will be with us soon.

“I don’t want to say (when) because again I think in that last part of (rehab) and especially after such a long time, we need to be cautious.

“And I will need to go really firm with the risk we take along the way to make sure when he is back, he is back and back for the long term.”

Arteta will celebrate his six-year anniversary at Arsenal on Saturday night, and he revealed Ben White will only miss “a few games” and was “quite positive” centre-back Gabriel Magalhaes will be back during the busy festive period.