Arsenal suffered Premier League title heartbreak last year when the Gunners blew a comfortable lead over Manchester City and allowed Pep Guardiola’s side to come back and steal the top spot. This year the north London outfit is sitting third in the English topflight. With Liverpool and the Sky Blues within striking distance, fans will remain optimistic about the club’s future thanks to the news that Mikel Arteta has rejected claims he is a candidate for the Barcelona job.
Mikel Arteta Rebukes Barcelona Rumours – Will Stay With Arsenal
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Arsenal Manager Intends to Stay Despite Xavi Exit
Spanish legend Xavi announced last week that he would be leaving his post at Barcelona at the end of the season. Immediately there were several names thrown out of potential replacements. Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano tweeted on Monday morning that Arteta has branded a report from Spain claiming that he will leave Arsenal at the end of the season as “Fake News.”
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The rumour clearly frustrated the Spaniard, who later told the media “I am really upset about it. I could not believe it. No source, nothing.” Arteta, a former Barcelona B player and academy graduate, joined Arsenal as manager in 2019 after acting as an assistant coach for Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City from 2016 . During his tenure in North London, the Gunners have won an FA Cup and two Community Shields. Winning the Premier League is their primary ambition after missing out and finishing in second place to Arteta’s former employer in 2023/24.
Sky Sports Reiterates Arteta’s Stance
Anthony Joseph, writing for Sky Sports, noted that Arteta has “no plans to leave managerial post at end of season.” Arsenal are back in the Champions League knockout rounds for the first time since their 2016/17 thrashing at the hands of Bayern Munich. This time, the Gunners come into it as favourites against FC Porto.
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Arteta played for Arsenal from 2011-2016. Upon retiring, he joined Guardiola’s staff in Manchester. While there, he won several Premier League titles and other domestic trophies. After initially being beaten out by Unai Emery, the Spaniard secured his first managerial post with the Gunners. Since then, the fortunes of the north London club have risen drastically.
