Mikel Arteta cut his coaching teeth alongside Pep Guardiola at Manchester City. So there is plenty of speculation to suggest that he will one day follow in the footsteps of his managerial mentor by taking the reins at Barcelona.
Arsenal supporters hope that day remains some way off. There is still plenty for the former La Masia academy graduate to achieve in his adopted north London home before retracing any professional steps to where it all began.
Arteta is, however, only tied to a contract at Emirates Stadium until the summer of 2025 and no extension has been agreed as yet.
Focus
The boss 👔 pic.twitter.com/R10zNNz0xk
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) February 21, 2024
Arsenal are still figuring prominently in soccer betting markets that have them priced at 3/1 for Premier League title glory and 6/1 to savour a Champions League triumph. So Arteta is being kept occupied for now.
How long that remains the case is yet to be determined.
At a time when the Gunners could do without any kind of distraction, unwelcome talk of interest from Camp Nou has resurfaced.
Arteta has been quick to bat away such rumours in the past. In January 2024 when he was first linked with a move to succeed Xavi at Barcelona, he said: “It’s totally untrue. I’m really upset about it. I could not believe (it). I don’t know where it’s coming from. It’s got no source, it’s got nothing.”
Those words were music to the ears of Arsenal followers, but they are aware that stances can shift quickly in professional sport.
Arteta has previously conceded that a time will come when he severs ties with the Gunners, be that through personal choice or while being ushered out of the back door.
He has said: “I made a very conscious decision the day I made the decision to become a coach – I said: ‘It will happen. Today, tomorrow, in a month’s time, in 10 years’ time. I don’t know when it will happen’.”
Being tied to terms that have over 12 months still to run should ensure that no change of scenery is taken in any time soon.
If more major silverware were to be collected this season, then talks regarding a new deal would move to the top of everybody’s agenda.
The Barcelona links will not go away, though.
For as long as Arteta is catching the eye in a prominent coaching post, he will be interesting to the most ambitious of outfits around the world.
Concerned
Mikel Arteta ranks legendary managers in tier list 🔥 @soccermanager pic.twitter.com/K9IRkfWVts
— GOAL (@goal) December 2, 2023
La Liga giants should be fended off for now, with Arteta far from being the only name in the frame. But nobody has spent more than three years in the Camp Nou hot seat since Guardiola vacated said position in 2012.
A revolving door will continue to spin in Spain, and that will keep the rumour mill ticking over.
With every turn of the wheel, more names will be added to the pot.
Arsenal should not be overly concerned about that just yet, with their head coach seemingly happy and settled. But at what point do admiring glances from afar become a worry, as a return to more familiar surroundings begins to hold ever greater appeal to Arteta?
Surely not in the near future, the gaffer would have taken note of how Barcelona has treated their very own legend.
But why haven’t the gaffer handed an extension already?
You’d expect that the club would have by now recognised a potential future challenge for his service.
Q….When do we need to worry about Arteta’s links to Barca?
A…..When he leaves.
Maybe one day but definitely not any time soon so my worry is none.