After Xavi announced that he would leave Barcelona this summer, Spain** soon claimed that Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta had told his aides that he would go to Barcelona this summer. But at Monday's press conference, Tashuai sternly refuted the claim.
This is not the first time Arteta has been linked with the Barcelona boss, with similar rumours appearing in October 2021 when Coman was sacked and in November 2022. This time, Arteta, who came through the Barcelona academy, responded in the strongest vehement, "What you read yesterday, I don't know where it came from, it's not true at all. I'm angry about it. I can't believe there is such a claim, it doesn't even have a source. We've always been cautious when talking about personal things, and it's infuriating to report on things I haven't said or done. Let everyone see this kind of report, it's not authentic. I've always been very upfront, I've said the opposite of that, I've been saying how happy I'm here, how grateful I am. ”
Mikel Arteta has spoken of Arsenal's 'five-stage plan' and said the team was in 'phase three' when they won the title last season. He didn't describe what the next two phases would look like, but he clearly had an unfinished business here, "I'm in the right place, I'm surrounded by the right people, and I feel good." I've said many times that I'm on a fantastic journey with this club and there's still a lot to do. ”
We don't know how long our plans will take to complete, in fact, the work is never over and you always want to get better. We don't know what the training ground and the Emirates Stadium will look like in 3 years, 5 years, 10 years, there will definitely be changes. There are definitely other qualities that need to be added to the team, and the character of the team and what it plays has to evolve. These experiences are necessary. ”
Mikel Arteta has been in charge of Arsenal for over four years and is the fourth-longest tenured manager in the Premier League after Jurgen Klopp, Pep Guardiola and Brentford's Frank. Ta Shuai has one and a half years left on his contract, and when asked about the topic of renewal, he said: "No, we didn't start talking about that, but we will talk about it when it's time to talk. I have a good relationship with the board, with Edu and with the boss. Things will happen naturally, and when the time is right, there will be such discussions. We share the same ambitions, we want more, we are not complacent, the club needs to go to the next level. We need everybody to be part of it, and there's no doubt that I'm a part of that. ”