Arsenal sporting director Edu has hailed a "special day" after manager Mikel Arteta signed a new long-term deal with the club. The Spaniard, who was set to be was set to be out of contract at the end of the season, has now committed his future to the Emirates until 2027.
The news comes just three days ahead of Arsenal's crucial north London derby clash at Tottenham on Sunday.
And Edu took to social media to celebrate the news, posting a picture of Arteta putting pen to paper on his Instagram page.
He captioned the image "Today is a very special day!!!" The Brazilian also added writing, smiling, football, and heart emojis to his post for good measure.
The 46-year-old also released a statement through the club, claiming the development gives the club a "clear direction" moving forward. “We are really happy that Mikel has signed a new long-term contract," he said.
"It’s a very positive and proud moment for everyone at the club and an important part of what we’re all working towards. Mikel has shown his qualities since the very first day he joined us, not only as a football manager, but as a person with wonderful values.
"We have a strong belief in what we are doing and what we want to achieve together. Mikel’s new contract gives us stability and clear direction as we aim for new heights.”
Edu, a former player at the club, was on board as technical director in December 2019 when Arteta was hired as manager to replace Unai Emery. And in the Spaniard's debut campaign with the club, they landed the FA Cup by beating Chelsea in the final at Wembley.
Edu changed roles in late 2022, with the Gunners twice since going close in the Premier League title race. Arteta has now seen two successive second placed finishes behind Manchester City, with his side also expected to challenge strongly this time around.
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After settling his future, Arteta implied he was now focussed on finally landing the club's first top-flight title since 2003/04. “I feel extremely proud, very excited and am looking forward to what is coming next," he said. "I’m proud to be where I am and have the relationships that I have with everyone at the club.
“I feel extremely lucky to work every single day with good people and the ambition we have here. I feel very inspired, I feel challenged, I feel supported and I want to do much more than what we’ve already done together."