ARSENAL have put contract talks with boss Mikel Arteta on hold to avoid any distractions from the title race.
Paris Saint-Germain, set to change manager again this summer, are among the big European clubs monitoring Arteta.
He has just over two years left on his £8.3million-a-year Gunners deal which he signed before the end of last season.
And the Spaniard, 41, said: “Now is the appropriate time to focus on winning as many games as we can to try to achieve what we want.”
If Arsenal win their first Premier League title for 19 years, Arteta’s stock will be higher than ever.
And at least two of his former clubs are among those watching his progress.
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PSG, where he spent a season on loan early in his career, are set to part company with Christophe Galtier after another Champions League flop.
While both Manchester City and Barcelona have a longer-term interest in Arteta.
Arsenal are understood to be calm about Arteta’s contract situation.
The board gave him a pay rise of more than £3m a year when they tied him down to a new deal last May.
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At the time the club was involved in a battle for Champions League qualification which they ultimately lost to North London rivals Tottenham.
The Gunners go to West Ham tomorrow three points clear at the top from champions City.
But centre-back William Saliba could be out injured for a few weeks.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
