Coach Mikel Arteta has committed his future to Arsenal and denied rumours that he will succeed Xavi at Barca from the summer of 2024.
At a press conference before the match against Nottingham Forest in round 22 of the Premier League, when asked about rumors of leaving Arsenal at the end of the season, Arteta replied angrily: "Who, me? No. That's fake news. What you read yesterday, I don't know where it came from. That information is completely false and it bothers me."
On January 28, Spanish newspaper Diario Sport reported that Arteta had informed Arsenal that he was ready to leave the Emirates Stadium at the end of the 2023-2024 season. The 41-year-old coach's next destination is said to be Barca, the team that will part ways with coach Xavi from June.
"I can't believe it," Arteta continued when asked about the rumour. "I don't know where it comes from, there's no source, nothing. And I think we have to be very careful when we publish personal matters like that."
Arsenal manager during the Premier League match against Crystal Palace at Emirates Stadium, London on January 20, 2024. Photo: AP
Arteta is of Catalan descent and grew up at La Masia - Barca's famous training ground. In early 2021, the Spanish coach was also rumored to be able to replace Ronald Koeman at Camp Nou. A year later, Diario Sport itself announced that Arteta was a candidate to replace Xavi - who was under pressure when Barca was eliminated from the Champions League group stage for the second time in a row.
According to Arteta, such rumours are part of football and he cannot control them. The Spanish coach stressed that he is happy at Arsenal, in the right place, at the right time with the right people, and enjoying the beautiful journey with the club.
Succeeding Unai Emery in December 2019, Arteta helped Arsenal win the FA Cup and the Community Shield a few months later. The Spanish coach helped the Gunners improve strongly, winning the Premier League runner-up position last season and then beating Man City in the 2023 Community Shield. In total, Arteta won 124 out of 210 matches in charge of Arsenal and has no intention of stopping.
"There is a lot of work to do and we all have the same ambition," he said. "We are not satisfied, we want more and we want another push to take it to the next level. We are on the right track but we are still a long way from my vision of where the club should be."
Coach Arteta called on Arsenal fans to applaud Kai Havertz after the 1-0 win over Brentford in round 13 of the Premier League. Photo: AFP
Arteta is under contract until the summer of 2025 and said talks over an extension have not yet begun. But he said he is working closely with the board, sporting director Edu and the owners and will discuss a new deal at the appropriate time.
Asked about Arsenal's ability to dominate the Premier League after Jurgen Klopp left Liverpool, Arteta replied: "We don't know. We have a lot of work to do and we have to worry about that. What other people do, we don't know, and sometimes a new manager has a really big impact right away. That's happened a lot in the league. And sometimes, as you said, the team goes through a transition. We can't control that, so let's focus on what we can do."
Also according to Arteta, Declan Rice - the midfielder who had problems in the last match, the 5-0 win over Crystal Palace on January 20 - has not fully recovered and is open to playing today. Meanwhile, Thomas Partey has returned to training but is not yet able to play and could return from the match against Liverpool on February 4.
Hong Duy
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