How Mikel Arteta’s past could come back to haunt Arsenal
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Since the exit of Arsene Wenger, and even when compared to the Frenchman’s last few years at the club, Arsenal are arguably in the best shape under Mikel Arteta that they’ve been in years.
The Spaniard took Arsenal to within just five points of the Premier League title during the 2022/23, with Arteta turning the Gunners into one of the best sides in the world in the process.
However, Arteta’s mission to have Arsenal sitting at the top of English and world football could be turned on its head, with a potential spot as Barcelona manager in his future?
So, could Mikel’s past come back to bite Arsenal, just as the side looks set to establish itself as a powerhouse once again? Join Coral as we take a look.
Will Mikel Arteta quit Arsenal?
On Sunday evening, reports out of Spain suggested that Arteta had told people close to him that he was considering quitting his job as Arsenal manager at the end of the 2023/24 season, leaving fans of the Gunners seriously worried.
It’s worth noting that the report was not confirmed, and its reliability was seriously questioned by fans and pundits. However, the timing of the report, with Xavi Hernandez announcing that he’ll be leaving Barcelona at the end of the 2023/24 season, led to some believing the news.
At the end the day, only Mikel Arteta knows what he’s thinking right now, but it wouldn’t be too surprising if it emerged that he was interested in taking over Xavi as Barcelona’s manager this summer, despite the good work he’s done with Arsenal up to this stage.
When he was Man City assistant manager, the Arsenal job became available, and given that he played over 100 league games for the club as a player, it seemed only natural that the Spaniard would be interested in taking over his former club.
But could the situation that Arsenal used to lure Arteta to the club in 2019 be what’s used by Barcelona to secure his services as their next manager in 2024?
Arteta may have played for Arsenal, but he also played for Barcelona, and was a product of the famous La Masia academy between 1997 and 1999. He played over 40 times for Barcelona’s B team, but failed to make any senior appearances for his boyhood club, before leaving for Rangers on a permanent deal in 2002.
The job at one of the biggest clubs in the world doesn’t come around too often, and considering he’s a former Barcelona player, it’s not hard to believe that the managerial role may at least be something that Arteta considers ahead of the summer.
Mikel Arteta is the favourite to become Barcelona’s next manager
The bookies seem to agree with our sentiment too, as Coral has Arteta as the favourite to take over from Xavi Hernandez as Barcelona’s new manager come the end of the season, with odds of 5/2.
As noted, only Arteta and the people close to him know how he really feels about potentially becoming Barcelona manager, but the bookies seem to be of the belief that he’s the front-runner, at least as of now.
Barcelona are in need of serious help right now, and aren’t actually in a position too dissimilar from the one that Arsenal found themselves in when they hired Arteta just shy of five years ago.
Not only considering his ties to the club, but Barcelona’s board will look at the work Arteta’s done, taking Arsenal from a struggling side to a title challenger in just a few years, and will likely feel that he’s who they want to take over from their former captain.
The next few months are set to be crazy in the world of managerial changes. Not only could a former Barcelona man be set to take on one of the biggest jobs in the world in Arteta, but a former Real Madrid midfielder could be set for a new role as the boss of one of the world’s superclubs too.
Xabi Alonso is also seen as the ‘clear favourite’ to become Liverpool’s next manager, as Jurgen Klopp announced he’ll be leaving the club at the end of the season. The ex-Liverpool midfielder is, with Coral, priced at 4/6 to become the Red’s next permanent boss.
Odds on Barcelona’s next manager
- Mikel Arteta – 5/2
- Rafael Marquez – 3/1
- Jurgen Klopp – 8/1
- Roberto De Zerbi – 8/1
- Ruben Amorim – 8/1
- Thiago Motta – 10/1
- Jose Mourinho – 12/1
- Julian Nagelsmann – 12/1
- Unai Emery – 12/1
- Ange Postecoglu – 16/1
- Pep Guardiola – 25/1
All odds and markets are correct as of the date of publication.
