Arsenal to give Arteta huge pay rise, target Bournemouth striker Kroupi

Arsenal will reward Mikel Arteta for ending the club’s 22-year wait for a league title by offering him a lucrative new contract, cementing his status as one of the world’s best-paid managers. The club is also well advanced with plans to strengthen his squad.

Talks over extending Arteta’s deal beyond next summer were put on hold while Arsenal battled Manchester City in the Premier League, although insiders insisted there was an expectation he would have stayed even without a trophy. The 44-year-old has become the second-youngest manager to win the Premier League after Jose Mourinho in 2004, and matched Kenny Dalglish’s 1990 achievement by making a team champions in his first senior management job.

Arteta has transformed Arsenal since his appointment in December 2019, and his new deal is likely to reflect his achievements. His current contract is believed to be worth about £10 million a season plus a £5 million bonus for reaching the Champions League, but he will be offered a large salary increase that some sources predict could approach the wage of Atletico Madrid head coach Diego Simeone, reportedly the world’s best-paid manager at €30 million (£26 million) a year.

Pep Guardiola is paid a reported £20 million a year by Manchester City. Arteta will become the longest-serving manager in England’s top four divisions when Guardiola steps down after Sunday’s final Premier League game.

Arteta, the eighth manager to lead Arsenal to the title and the first since Arsene Wenger in 2004, will resume talks after next Saturday’s Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain.

Arteta has been heavily involved in recruitment plans with sporting director Andrea Berta. The co-chairs Stan and Josh Kroenke promised in their program for Monday’s win over Burnley that ‘there will be no standing still when the season ends.’ It is understood there is unlikely to be the same outlay as the £250 million Arsenal spent last summer, but funds are in place for a marquee signing to rival the purchase of Declan Rice for a then-British record £105 million in 2023.

It is understood that Eli Junior Kroupi, the Bournemouth striker whose goal against City helped Arsenal seal the title on Tuesday, is a target, although his club could value the 19-year-old at about £80 million. He broke the league record for most goals by a teenager in a debut season with his 13th on Tuesday and joined agent Moussa Sissoko this year in anticipation of a summer move. Kroupi, scouted by Real Madrid and Chelsea, is regarded as an option for the left of Arsenal’s attack and as competition for Kai Havertz and Viktor Gyokeres centrally.

Arteta has made a forward his priority and there is strong interest in Julian Alvarez, although it remains unclear how much Atletico would demand for the Argentina international. PSG’s Khvicha Kvaratskhelia would be a dream signing, but PSG are not expected to entertain offers for the Georgian. Other longstanding targets include Kvaratskhelia’s teammate Bradley Barcola, Athletic Bilbao’s Nico Williams, and Newcastle’s Anthony Gordon, a target for Bayern Munich. Gabriel Martinelli would be allowed to depart if a suitable offer arrived.

Interest in Newcastle’s Sandro Tonali could be revived, but Myles Lewis-Skelly’s performances as a midfielder may persuade Arteta to prioritize elsewhere. Ethan Nwaneri’s future looks less secure; he spent the second half of the season on loan at Marseille after signing a new five-year contract in August and is wanted by clubs including Borussia Dortmund.

There could be a handful of other departures. Christian Norgaard has been linked with Ajax after playing 56 minutes in the Premier League since his move from Brentford last year, and Gabriel Jesus, among the club’s top earners with a year left on his £250,000-a-week contract, is surplus to requirements.

Arsenal are in talks with representatives of Jeremy Monga, the 16-year-old Leicester winger who this season became the youngest goalscorer in Championship history, over a potential move involving a compensation fee for the England Under-19 international. They have this year signed defender Jaden Dixon from Stoke and Scottish striker Evan Mooney to boost their youth ranks.