Arsenal's ambition matching Arteta's vision as new deal nears

[BBC] [Getty Images] The perception of Arsenal's transfer window varies depending on who you speak to - but there will be no disagreement from anyone at Emirates Stadium over how crucial their next expected signing will be. With the market closed until January, the club are now in the process of finalising an agreement with manager Mikel Arteta over his protracted new contract. Well-placed sources indicate those discussions have moved forward recently, amid full confidence from those involved in talks that the Spaniard will renew. Arteta moved unequivocally last month to remove any lingering doubt over his future: "Everybody feels comfortable that the timing of the contract is not going to be an issue because my will certainly is to be here and I'm very happy here." For Arsenal supporters, the official announcement can't come soon enough, particularly given his current deal now has just nine months left to run. Arteta's fingerprints are all over the club and - most importantly - the squad. Nothing happens from a first-team perspective without his approval. With that in mind, the thought of removing Arteta from that dynamic, certainly for Arsenal's ownership, is the unthinkable. This is a squad that has flourished under his tutelage. The average age of the squad (26.2 years) is one of the oldest in the Premier League. It is a group at its peak and primed to build a legacy on. Beyond the new financial terms, Arsenal are buying into Arteta's vision. The summer arrivals of Bruno Guimaraes and Ezri Konsa were sizeable investments, given both turn 30 next year, while the albeit failed pursuits of Vinicius Jr and Julian Alvarez provided evidence that the club's owners are willing to spend heavily on elite talent. It is the sort of ambition Arteta is understood to have made clear he wanted to see as talks over his contract progressed. Read the full article here