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Considering Arsenal’s recent plight with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and the pending issues of Alexandre Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah’s deals, nobody could blame Mikel Arteta for banning the word ‘contract’ from his press conferences.

However, there was one contract which did not seem to phase the former Manchester City assistant – his own.

There was no uncomfortable shift in his chair or slight change in his expression as there often was with Aubameyang’s bitter departure from the club.

Instead, Arteta bared all about his present happiness and future ambitions with the north Londoners.

And now would be the perfect time for Arsenal to commit him to a new deal.

"It is just that I am really happy here and my aim is to build with the club a winning team that when we watch it feels identifiable and that can transmit what we want football-wise and as an organisation," Arteta said when asked if contract talks had taken place.

"I am happy with the direction we’re taking, but I’m not happy with where we are that is for sure because we want to be competing and challenging with the best teams in this league in consecutive seasons.

"We’re not there yet but I think the team is evolving in the right direction.

“The project and the phases that we proposed, they are happening and there are a lot positives but we are not there."

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