Barcelona is reportedly eyeing Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta as a potential replacement for Hansi Flick, a move complicated by Arteta’s contract running until 2027 and his current control over the North London club.
According to a report from FourFourTwo, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has been strongly linked with a move to Barcelona as a potential replacement for current coach Hansi Flick.
Arteta, who grew up supporting the Catalan club and came through La Masia, has been in charge of the Gunners for six years this month, taking them from arguably their “lowest point in decades to competing for the Premier League title.”
Despite the emotional draw of a homecoming, Arteta is understood to have “no intention of breaking his agreement” with Arsenal, having last signed a new deal in 2024 that runs until 2027.
However, with Hansi Flick reportedly “struggling at Barcelona,” the club is considering the move. Former Barcelona star Gaizka Mendieta admitted that while Arteta is “not be thinking” about moving to Camp Nou, the Catalan giants are likely planning ahead.
Mendieta explained: “You have to plan ahead and you always make a list of potential coaches, I’m sure in those lists, Arteta’s name is there as a potential candidate.”
He added that Arteta’s past brings them together, and as “one of the best coaches in football that there is now, he will have a lot of offers, but Barca will certainly be one of them.”
The decision, Mendieta suggests, “comes down to him, when he wants to leave Arsenal.” A major factor keeping Arteta in North London is the control he has exercised over the club’s culture since his 2019 return, including bringing in Sporting Director Andrea Berta.