Mikel Arteta responds to claims he wants to quit Arsenal for Barcelona | OneFootball

Last week was a big seven days for football managers. First, Jurgen Klopp revealed he would be leaving Liverpool at the end of the 2023/24 season. And then, Xavi announced he had the exact same plans at Barcelona.

On Sunday evening, news then broke that Mikel Arteta could also be leaving Arsenal, and had even told his personal entourage that it was something he was considering. Credible news sources have since dismissed these claims, insisting that the Spaniard won't be going anywhere soon.

Arteta denies exit rumours

"Fake news"

Even still, some Arsenal fans may be a little bit nervous to hear speculation about the 41-year-old's future. In what will be music to their ears, however, when speaking in his first press conference since the news emerged online, Arteta has firmly denied any notion that he has plans to leave north London this summer.

He explained:

As per football.london, Arteta later elaborated on just why he was so upset by the fake news. He explained:

Why Arteta is so highly rated

Linked with Liverpool and Barcelona

With both the Liverpool and Barcelona jobs up for grabs, we can likely expect countless names to be linked with the vacant spots over the next few months. With that said, it's no surprise Arteta already had to deny the idea that he could leave the Gunners to try his luck elsewhere.

After all, still only 41, he appears to be one of the most promising managers in the game. Having won the FA Cup and two Community Shields with the north London outfit, Arteta has turned Arsenal into genuine title challengers – having inherited a team that had fallen out of the Champions League.

As per Squawka, he has won more games from his first 200 in charge than any other manager in the club's history. Indeed, he has 121 wins from 211 games so far – which is a 57.3 per cent win rate. This explains why he would be a wanted man if he was to become an option on the manager's market.

The Spaniard will be hoping to put all this noise behind him as he focuses on Arsenal's next game. This fixture will be away in the Premier League against Nottingham Forest and will be live on TNT Sports 2. Having lost their last season, the Gunners will be hoping to get payback on the team they beat 2-1 on the opening day of this season.