Jurrien Timber is hopeful that Mikel Arteta will remain Arsenal manager amid fears he could leave the club at the end of next season.
Arteta has transformed Arsenal into one of the best teams in Europe over the past four years, with his side coming agonisingly close to winning the Premier League title, only for Manchester City to pip them to it.
It is expected that the Gunners will contest for the trophy again next season but there are fears it could be the last campaign for the beloved manager.
His contract at the Emirates expires in the summer of 2025, and the 42-year-old has been heavily linked with returning to another of his former clubs in Barcelona.
Arteta did not ease these concerns when he recently admitted that he hoped to return to his native Spain in the future, though maintained he was ‘happy’ in North London and would hold talks over his futureArsenal’s players have consistently praised Arteta’s work and Timber is hopeful that missing out on another title won’t dissuade him from penning a new deal, saying: ‘I think you can tell that Mikel is great.
‘He has made a lot of players better and he makes a great team. So, I think Arsenal needs him next season as well.
‘You feel that this team is not finished yet. It’s a good feeling to have and it is a good place to be with these guys.
‘But we need to win our first one still and, until that time, we will be hungry for sure. I had a feeling we deserved this year to win it, to be fair. I think in a lot of aspects of the game, we were really good this season.
‘But, let’s be honest, City are also great. It is always hard, but I think we were close. Next season we are going to try again.’
Arteta convinced Timber to join Arsenal from Ajax last summer, but he has scarcely had time to work with the manager due to an ACL injury sustained in the first Premier League game of the season last August.
He only returned to action on the last day of the campaign, coming off the bench in the 2-1 win over Everton, with his prolonged absence affecting the Gunners and also costing the defender a place in the Netherlands squad for Euro 2024.
‘It felt very good [to be back]. A bit of a double emotion to be honest, because we are not champions,’ the 22-year-old added.
‘It was really hard [being injured], but on the other hand it was also nice to see everything up close with these guys.
‘I had a lot of support this year from the fans, which was really nice. I think everyone knows an ACL injury is not easy, so I am really thankful for that. If the coach wants to use me anywhere, I’ll play. I cannot wait for next season.’
