Arteta is angry about rumors of a move to Barca.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has committed his future to the club and dismissed rumors linking him to succeeding Xavi at Barcelona from summer 2024.

At the press conference before the match against Nottingham Forest in the 22nd round of the Premier League, when asked about rumors of leaving Arsenal at the end of the season, Arteta responded angrily: "Who? Me? No. That's fake news. What you read yesterday, I don't know where it came from. It's completely false information and it upsets me."

On January 28th, Spanish newspaper Diario Sport reported that Arteta had informed Arsenal of his willingness to leave the Emirates Stadium at the end of the 2023-2024 season. The 41-year-old coach's next destination is believed to be Barcelona, who will part ways with coach Xavi in June.

"I can't believe it," Arteta continued when asked about the rumor. "I don't know where it came from, no source, nothing. And I think we have to be very careful when posting personal matters like that."

Arsenal manager during the match against Crystal Palace in the Premier League at the Emirates Stadium, London, on January 20, 2024. Photo: AP

Arteta is of Catalan descent and a product of La Masia – Barca's renowned youth academy. In early 2021, the Spanish coach was also rumored to be a potential replacement for Ronald Koeman at Camp Nou. A year later, Diario Sport reported that Arteta was a candidate to replace Xavi – who was under pressure after Barca were eliminated from the Champions League group stage for the second consecutive time.

According to Arteta, such rumors are part of football and he cannot control them. The Spanish coach emphasized that he is happy at Arsenal, in the right place at the right time with the right people, and enjoying his wonderful journey with the club.

Succeeding Unai Emery in December 2019, Arteta led Arsenal to FA Cup and Community Shield victories a few months later. The Spanish manager helped the Gunners rise to prominence, finishing as runners-up in the Premier League last season and then beating Manchester City in the 2023 Community Shield. In total, Arteta has won 124 out of 210 games managing Arsenal and shows no signs of stopping.

"There's a lot of work to be done and we all share the same ambition," he said. "We're not satisfied, we want more and we want a different momentum to take things to the next level. We're heading in the right direction but we're still a long way from my vision of where the club should be."

Arsenal manager Arteta urged fans to applaud Kai Havertz after the 1-0 victory over Brentford in the 13th round of the Premier League. Photo: AFP — Arsenal manager Arteta urged fans to applaud Kai Havertz after the 1-0 victory over Brentford in the 13th round of the Premier League. Photo: *AFP*

Arteta's contract runs until summer 2025, and he stated that negotiations for an extension have not yet begun. However, he affirmed that he is working closely with the board, sporting director Edu, and the owners, and will discuss a new deal at the appropriate time.

When asked about the possibility of Arsenal dominating the Premier League after Jurgen Klopp left Liverpool, Arteta replied: "We don't know. We have a lot of work to do and we have to worry about that. We don't know what the others are doing, and sometimes a new manager has a really big impact right away. This has happened many times in the league. And sometimes, as you said, the team will go through a transition. We can't control that, so let's focus on what we can do."

According to Arteta, Declan Rice – the midfielder who suffered an injury in the recent 5-0 win against Crystal Palace on January 20th – is not fully recovered and his participation in today's match remains uncertain. Meanwhile, Thomas Partey has returned to training but is not yet ready to play and could make his comeback from the match against Liverpool on February 4th.

Hong Duy

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