Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez is set to leave the club at the end of the season, and they have been linked with potential replacements, including Mikel Arteta.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is reportedly one of the options on the radar of Barcelona, and as quoted by SPORT, Lluis Carreras has urged Barcelona to appoint the Spaniard as their next manager.
Former Barcelona player Lluis Carreras said, “I have made it public, I say it. I have been lucky to have heard him, to have been with him in talks. For me, Mikel Arteta without a doubt. And with a lot of difference over the rest with all due respect to all the tons of coaches who have come out. Mikel knows the club, he has been at Pep’s side, which adds 300% for me. He has gotten Arsenal out of a difficult situation starting from scratch. He has improved the performance of many players….”
Mikel Arteta has done an impressive job at Arsenal, and he helped them compete for the league title last season. The Gunners are very much in the title race this season as well. There is no doubt that he has proven himself to be a quality manager in the Premier League and could prove to be a quality acquisition for the Spanish club as well.
Barcelona have a talented squad at their disposal, and bringing in an exciting young manager like Arteta would be a wise decision. It will be interesting to see if they decide to make an approach for the Spaniard at the end of the season.
Arteta has an attractive project at Arsenal, and it remains to be seen whether he is ready to abandon that and move to Spain to join his boyhood club. The former Barcelona youth player could be keen on a return to the club in the near future. But the Blaugrana also have other options on their radar, including Ruben Amorim.
Barcelona are one of the biggest clubs in the world, and the opportunity to manage them can be hard to turn down for any manager. Arteta could easily be tempted to join them. Meanwhile, Arsenal will hope that he continues to manage them for the foreseeable future.
He has put together a talented young squad at the North London club, and he will be expected to guide them to trophies in the coming seasons. Leaving now would be a major blow for the Premier League side. They have backed him significantly in the transfer window, and replacing him could prove to be costly for them.
