Former Arsenal midfielder Mikel Arteta hung up his boots in 2016 and went on to become the assistant coach to, arguably, the world’s best football manager Pep Guardiola. The 37-year-old has built himself a reputation as one of the game’s finest coaches and is tipped by many for big things in the not so distant future.
The Spaniard was reportedly interviewed when Arsene Wenger announced he would be leaving the club but for reasons that remain unclear, Arteta opted to turn the position down.
As pointed out by this Twitter account, the North London giants haven’t qualified for Europe’s premier competition since Arteta left and these Arsenal fans have gone on to discuss the former Gunner.
So, it’s evident that Mikel Arteta will take us back to Champions league football.
— San™ (@VintageArsanal) November 18, 2019
I back Arteta to be our coach
— Migos Odonya (@JamesOdonya) November 19, 2019
We need players like him again
— Ahmed (@YourNormalUser) November 18, 2019
Bring him back then.
— Danny (@Danny_winds) November 18, 2019
Amazing facts.
— #Francis (@Cisco788985802) November 18, 2019
What?!!!!!
Mad oooooo
— •Makarios• (@_DatEgbaBoy) November 18, 2019
What do we think?
Arteta was a good servant to Arsenal Football Club and displayed a desire to move into management from a relatively young age. Tasked with sitting in front of the Gunners defence and looking to dictate play from deep, his role under Arsene Wenger was far more conservative than the one he played at Rangers and Everton.
There are those who will likely argue he was more effective in the deep-lying midfield role than Granit Xhaka due to his superior reading and understanding of the game and that would be a fair assessment but the reality is Arsenal were far from water-tight when it was Arteta protecting the back four instead.
As a coach, his reputation, particularly in his native Spain, continues to grow and he has all the attributes to become one of the top managers in our game. He seems a strong candidate to take the reins at the club when Unai Emery does eventually move on but the notion his departure has had an impact on the club’s ability to finish in the top four is highly inaccurate. In his last season as a player, Arteta only made nine Premier League appearances.