Key Arsenal man now spotted in Spain amid reports Barcelona want him this summer
Mikel Arteta has been spotted in Spain amid reports that FC Barcelona are interested in appointing the Arsenal man as manager.
The Catalan giants are on the hunt to replace Xavi Hernandez after the Barcelona legend announced that he will be leaving the position of head coach at the end of this season.
As soon as the news broke, Arteta was immediately linked with the job, with Arsenal reportedly working to hand the Basque coach a new deal to put a stop to Barcelona’s links to the young manager.
Mikel Arteta spotted in Spain amid Barcelona links
Yet as per a video posted by Relevo, Arteta is in Spain for the international break, with the Arsenal manager spotted in Madrid watching a youth game between Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid.
Whilst it is almost certain that Arteta being back in his home country has nothing to do with ongoing links to Barcelona, the reports and theories from the Spanish media will likely go into overdrive following this development.
Indeed, Arsenal don’t play again until the end of the month, giving Arteta and many first-team players not called up for international duty a much-needed break to rest and recover for the season run-in.
And for Arteta, heading home to Spain to be with friends and family is exactly what the Arsenal manager needs, even if it could lead to links to the Barcelona job intensifying.
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Arsenal will feel confident that Mikel Arteta is staying this summer
Barcelona are clearly big fans of Arteta with reports and rumours refusing to die down since Xavi announced his decision to leave the managerial position.
Yet for Arsenal themselves, they will feel confident that Arteta is staying this summer with the former Manchester City coach saying all the right things when asked about a Barcelona move.
It’s clear that the Basque manager wants to continue his work at Arsenal, and Arteta could head into the summer as a Premier League or European champion if things pan out well this season.
