The Arsenal hierarchy have been told how they can keep manager Mikel Arteta out of the clutches of Manchester City or Barcelona in the future.

Arteta appointed Arsenal He became boss in December 2019 after spending three and a half years as assistant manager under Pep Guardiola at Manchester City. Arteta has had to ask for patience from Arsenal fans to have confidence in his long-term project, which has been very frustrating at times, but Arsenal have reaped the rewards over the last few years.

Arsenal have struggled in the last two seasons Man City They continued to race for the Premier League title until the very end, ultimately losing on both occasions.

The 2024-25 season has been challenging so far arteta and Arsenal lost more points than usual with injuries to some key players, leaving them nine points behind league leaders Liverpool.

But captain Martin Odegaard is back on the pitch and aims to lead Arsenal to another title challenge after the international break.

Former Arsenal star Alan Smith has told Arsenal they should not “stand still” as this lack of progress will see Arteta press for a move away.

Given his previous connections, City could approach the 42-year-old if Pep Guardiola leaves. barcelona He evaluated Arteta before landing Hansi Flick earlier this year.

“I think as long as Arteta feels that Arsenal are improving and trying to improve in terms of their ambitions, he will talk to the owners, Stan Kroenke and his son Josh, and see what vision they have,” Smith said. Daily Express.

“If he feels the club is stagnating or going backwards, yes, a manager with his drive and ambition will then look elsewhere.

“But he’s putting a lot of effort and effort into the team and the club in general at the moment. He’ll want to see some reward for that.

“They came very close to getting it and who knows, maybe they can get something this season, be it in the league or the cup. They have the capacity to do this.”

In September, Arteta signed a new contract with Arsenal running until June 2027. This puts Arsenal in a strong position.

However, it looks like there will be a big shakeup at the Emirates when Arteta’s close ally Edu decides to leave his post as sporting director.

Arsenal need to get their next sporting director appointment right as this new chief will work closely with Arteta to reshape the squad through transfers.

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Meanwhile, German reporter Christian Falk Arsenal could be front-runners in the bid to land Leroy Sane, suggests.

The winger has entered the final months of his Bayern Munich contract and is heavily tipped to return to the Prem.

Sane would prefer to live in London rather than Manchester following his previous spell at City, which could lead to Arsenal beating Manchester United in the transfer hunt.

Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi is another player Arsenal are after.

While the Spanish player, who missed him during the summer, continues to attract Liverpool’s interest, City is also said to have potential suitors.

Zubimendi has now confessed There is a high probability of being the subject of transfer rumors when the winter window opens.

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