Mikel Arteta dismissed speculation that he could leave Arsenal for Barcelona at the end of the season as “totally fake news” and said he was “upset” by the reports.
Reports in Spain on Sunday said the 41-year-old was set to succeed Xavi at Spotify Camp Nou, where he came through the club's legendary La Masia youth academy as a teenager.
– Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (US)
Multiple sources told ESPN that Arteta remains fully committed to Arsenal, and he reflected that position ahead of his team's Premier League trip to Nottingham Forest.
“That's totally fake news,” Arteta said at a news conference on Monday when asked if he would leave. “What you read yesterday is… I don't know where it comes from, and it's totally false. I'm really upset about that.
“I can not believe it [it]. I don't know where it comes from and it has no origin. It has nothing, and I think you have to be very careful when talking about personal things to put it like it did yesterday.
“I'm in the right place. I'm with the right people. I feel very good about it. As I've said many times, I'm involved in a beautiful journey with this football club, with these players, this staff, our people. and There's still much to do.
“I'm very cautious when I talk publicly about my personal things, and when someone puts out a statement saying something I said or did, it's annoying.
“I understand that we are in this industry, but secondly, I don't think anyone deserves to hear news like that and I have always been very direct and I have always said the opposite; how happy I am, how grateful I am.” and how much I enjoy where I am now, that's why I'm upset.
Sources told ESPN that Arsenal are calm about Arteta's commitment to the club despite not having entered into talks over an extension to his contract, which expires in the summer of 2025.
“This is something [a contract extension] That will happen naturally when it has to happen, and that's it,” said Arteta, who has also been suggested as a possible successor to Pep Guardiola at Manchester City.
Arteta spent three years as a coach under Guardiola before taking his first managerial step with Arsenal in December 2019.
When the former Arsenal and Everton midfielder was asked if he could ever manage another club in England, Arteta said: “Not today. But I don't know. I played for two big clubs in this country. I moved into different things. I'm extremely young. and I don't know what's going to happen.”
Thomas Partey is still unavailable as he recovers from a hamstring injury, but Declan Rice and Gabriel hope to return from minor muscle strains suffered in Arsenal's previous match against Crystal Palace.
