Mikel Arteta has been credited with transforming Arsenal’s fortunes as they push for what once looked an unlikely top four finish.
The Spaniard has had plenty of ups and downs since taking over from Unai Emery for his first job in management. Yet he has overseen a positive run of progress which has the Gunners genuinely feeling positive about their future.
Their recent performances have inevitably seen Arteta linked with other jobs around the world. When Ronald Koeman was sacked by Barcelona, before Xavi got the job, it was claimed Arteta was someone they admired and considered a contender. More recently, Paris Saint-Germain were said to have him on their shortlist should they sack Mauricio Pochettino.
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Gary Neville has now added further cause for concern to Arsenal fans by claiming that Arteta should consider leaving the Gunners if they secure fourth place as he would have taken the club as far as is currently possible. But Arteta has regularly made it clear how he feels about his long-term Arsenal project in response to recent speculation, with his comments suggesting there is little chance of that happening.
Asked about Barcelona links in October 2021, Arteta simply replied : "I am extremely happy at Arsenal and I feel privileged to be here.” Posed with the same questions about Paris Saint-Germain in March this year, he declared: “It’s very simple. I am extremely happy here and grateful that this is where I am.”
Despite Arteta’s insistence that he is happy at Arsenal, and the fact he is expected to be offered a new contract, Neville explained this week why he should be considering his long-term future.
"I really like Mikel Arteta, I think he’s a brilliant coach. I think the team is fantastic in terms of the young players they’ve got," Neville told The Overlap Live Fan Debate. "But it’s interesting when you’re in a cycle of a club and you depress the ambition and have a significant period of failure because you then get really happy about finishing fourth.
"I found myself saying that about Manchester United. But it’s because of a depressed ambition. I think Mikel Arteta is a good operator. My concern is if Arsenal finish fourth this season – which to be fair, I think is 50/50, I still think there’s a long way to in that race – but if they finish fourth, that’s in some ways as good as it gets.
He continued by saying: "Mikel Arteta is a brilliant coach, I love that we’re seeing a team that he’s getting the maximum out of, I can see exactly how he wants to play, we all can. But he gets to fourth [and] if he was really hard about it, he’d probably say 'right, that’s the best I can do there, I’m going now and getting my next job’."
Fortunately for Arsenal fans, Arteta’s comments consistently suggest he has no intention of following Neville’s advice.
