Mikel Arteta has been tipped to leave Arsenal for Man Utd
Rio Ferdinand has incredibly claimed that Mikel Arteta would leave Arsenal for rivals Manchester United if the managerial job at Old Trafford became available.
It is unclear whether current Man Utd boss Erik ten Hag will be in charge next season. Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his INEOS team have already made several big changes at Man Utd, including replacing CEO Richard Arnold with Omar Berrada and also targeting Newcastle United’s Dan Ashworth as the club’s next sporting director.
And with Man Utd languishing in sixth in the Premier League – after already being knocked out of the Champions League and League Cup – Ratcliffe could wield the axe on Ten Hag this summer.
The new Man Utd hierarchy have yet to decide on the coach they want to replace Ten Hag, though Thomas Tuchel is understood to be keen on the role once he leaves Bayern Munich.
Alternatively, the Red Devils could go down a completely different path by raiding one of their fiercest rivals.
Former Man Utd star Ferdinand has made the stunning claim that Arteta would leave his excellent project at Arsenal if Man Utd came calling.
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On his Vibe with Five YouTube channel, the pundit said: “Arteta would leave Arsenal to join Man Utd, 100 per cent.
“No one is saying it’s happening but if Man Utd in a wild dream said, ‘do you know what, Erik ten Hag, thank you’ or Erik ten Hag has been poached by Bayern Munich, and he goes there, and then Man Utd say top of the list is Arteta.
‘I’ve got to go’ – Ferdinand on Arteta move
“Arteta is going in and saying to the lads, ‘listen guys, it’s been emotional but I’ve got to move, I’ve got to go.'”
Man Utd landing Arteta would be a transformative signing, as he has put his faith in a young group of players at Arsenal and slowly transformed them into genuine title challengers.
Given the fact Ratcliffe reportedly wants to sign the ‘best in class’ youngsters in England and beyond, Arteta could do the same for Man Utd.
For a lot of managers – Tuchel included – it is hard to turn down Man Utd as they are one of the biggest clubs in the world. But it is very hard to see Man Utd pulling off a swoop on Arsenal for Arteta.
The Spaniard has repeatedly spoken about his love for the Gunners, his players and the fans. His contract expires in June 2025, which has led to rumours he might take over at Manchester City or Barcelona next. Although, Arsenal will feel very confident that they can tie him down to a new, long-term deal so that their exciting journey together can continue.
