Mikel Arteta has completely turned around Arsenal’s fortunes this season and as per the latest gossip in Spain, Real Madrid have grown a liking towards him.
The Gunners boss was the understudy to Pep Guardiola at Manchester City for several seasons and he took charge of Arsenal in 2019. Everyone thought it will be a tough ride for the young manager because this was his first senior experience but Arteta has taken to the job like a fish in water.
He’s managed 166 games across all competitions and Arsenal have lost just 43 matches out of those. The 40-year-old is not only making all the right calls on the pitch but he’s also managed to get rid of all the unwanted players from the squad. This season, Arsenal are the league leader in the Premier League and if they can lift the title then Arteta’s market value will skyrocket.
Arsenal have been a mediocre side for close to a decade but Mikel Arteta has changed that in only three years so it’s no surprise that he is being linked with a club like Real Madrid. Being the successor to Carlo Ancelotti will be an honour for anyone but the 40-year-old is not letting gossip get into his head.
“It’s things that managers or players can’t control what is written,” Arteta said(h/t Fotmob).
“What I can tell is that I’m fully focused on what I’m doing here and extremely proud and grateful to do what I’m doing in this football club. That’s it.”
Ancelotti returned to Madrid in 2021 for a second stint and he’s made it very clear that he is not leaving anytime soon.
He recently said in an interview: “I’m not leaving here until they fire me. I’m delighted to form part of Real Madrid’s history.”
His current stint with the Los Blancos has been trophy-laden but his contract expires in 2024 and we doubt if he will get a new deal. Florentino Perez will want a young blood in charge of his beloved club and we are sure he will try and make a move for Mikel Arteta.
Arteta is out of contract at Arsenal in 2025 and even though he is fully focused on his current job, it will be interesting to see what happens when Real Madrid come calling.
Managing Madrid is a dream job for any manager because, at the Bernabeu, trophies are almost guaranteed. Yes, Mikel Arteta is very fond of Arsenal but not many people can reject the Los Blancos. Carlo is the prime example because he was managing Everton in 2021 but as soon as Real Madrid wanted him, the 63-year-old packed his bags and returned to Spain without thinking twice.
Perez’s first focus will be revamping the Real Madrid squad in the summer so we don’t think he will go after a new manager this time around. However, next year will be the litmus test for Mikel Arteta as well as Arsenal. If the Gunners can maintain the same level of performance for another 12 months then it’s almost certain that Madrid will try and snatch their manager.
