Arsenal co-owner Josh Kroenke has flown into England ahead of Sunday’s Carabao Cup final, and his visit is about a lot more than just watching the game.
According to the BBC, Kroenke will hold talks with sporting director Andrea Berta and manager Mikel Arteta to map out the club’s summer plans before heading back to America.
It is a significant visit, and the issues on the table are some of the biggest Arsenal will face this year.
The Gunners are on the verge of ending a trophy drought that stretches back to the 2020 FA Cup, with Sunday’s League Cup final against Manchester City potentially the first of several pieces of silverware this season.
But while the on-pitch picture is looking increasingly bright, the business being conducted off it this weekend could shape Arsenal’s trajectory for years to come.
Mikel Arteta contract talks top of Josh Kroenke’s Arsenal agenda this weekend
One of the major item on the table for Kronke to discuess is Arteta’s future.
The Spaniard will have just one year remaining on his current deal by the time this summer arrives, and Arsenal are understandably keen to tie him down well before that becomes a problem.
The BBC reports that Arteta’s existing contract is worth around £15 million per season including bonuses, and any new deal would come with a sizeable increase given his standing as one of the top coaches in European football right now.
Letting Arteta enter the final year of his deal without resolution would be a dangerous game for a club in the middle of what could be their most successful season in over two decades.
He has built something real at Arsenal, and the timing of Kroenke’s visit right before a cup final that could kickstart a remarkable trophy run shows just how important it is to get this sorted quickly.
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Arsenal enter Sunday as favourites to win the Carabao Cup, and they remain firmly in contention in the Premier League, the UEFA Champions League, and the Emirates FA Cup.
The squad Arteta has assembled is the best in a generation, and the decisions made in the coming months on transfers and the manager’s contract will determine whether this group can keep building or whether things start to drift.
Kroenke flying in personally for these conversations is a statement of intent. This is not a video call or a memo from across the Atlantic. The co-owner is here, in the room, ready to make decisions.
For Arsenal supporters who have at times questioned the ownership’s ambition, that kind of direct involvement at a pivotal moment in the club’s season is exactly what they want to see. The cup final is Sunday. The real work, though, starts this weekend in those boardroom discussions.
