Mikel Arteta, who is clearly upset, has rejected rumors of potentially joining Barcelona after the current season. He strongly believes that he still has important tasks to complete with Arsenal.
Recent reports in Spain indicated that Arteta, who started his career at Barça’s youth academy, confided in friends that he plans to depart from Arsenal at the conclusion of the season. It was also rumored that he is being considered by the Spanish club as a replacement for Xavi, who recently announced his departure from his role at Camp Nou. However, Arteta dismissed these rumors as untrue and reaffirmed his dedication to his current team, deeming it a “wonderful journey.”
Arteta expressed his disappointment at the false rumors and asserted his contentment with his current situation. He is grateful to be surrounded by the right individuals and is fully committed to his role at the football club. Despite facing challenges, he finds great joy in his work and is motivated by the support, respect, and clear goals set by the team. At this moment, he believes they are on the right track.
When questioned about why he was bothered by the rumors, Arteta, whose contract with Arsenal ends next season, responded, “I was shocked. I have no idea where this is coming from. We need to be cautious when discussing personal matters.”
“When someone makes a comment about our personal actions. Additionally, I don’t believe anyone should be told news like that. I have always expressed the opposite viewpoint. This is why I am feeling upset.”
Arteta needs to make a decision closer to game time about Declan Rice and Gabriel’s physical readiness for Tuesday’s match against Nottingham Forest. Unfortunately, Thomas Partey is still not available to rejoin the team. Since Liverpool and Manchester City are not playing until Wednesday, Arsenal has the opportunity to narrow the gap between them and Jürgen Klopp’s team to just two points if they win at the City Ground.
Despite losing their previous three matches on the road against Forest, Arteta is not underestimating the challenge. He stated, “We must carefully prepare for a highly competitive team. Our past experiences at their stadium have been unfavorable, so we will need to perform at our best to come out with a win.”
Source: theguardian.com
