17 June 2023 , 12:56
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Mikel Arteta remains happy at Arsenal despite having been contacted by French giants Paris Saint-Germain regarding their managerial vacancy.
The Ligue 1 champions are on the search for a new boss following Christophe Galtier’s exit at the end of the season. A number of candidates have been sounded out as they attempt to appoint a new manager.
Former Bayern Munich man Julian Nagelsmann was thought to be among the frontrunners for the role bu t discussions between the two parties appear to have collapsed. Ex-Napoli schemer Luciano Spaletti has also been linked but he appears unlikely to accept the role too.
A surprise option has emerged in the form of Arsenal ’s Arteta. According to RMC Sport, the club’s sporting director Luis Campos had sounded out the Spaniard as Galtier’s potential successor with the two having recently held talks.
Arteta already has an association with PSG. He represented the French giants for a season-and-a-half between 2000 and 2002 on-loan from Spanish giants Barcelona, making 53 appearances in all competitions and scoring five goals. He also speaks French fluently. Despite that, Arteta appears unlikely to move across the channel at this stage.
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It is reported that he is currently happy in North London and the job he is doing at the Emirates Stadium. The former midfielder is under contract until 2025 having only penned fresh terms with the club just over a year ago.
Christophe Galtier was sacked by PSG despite winning the title (Getty Images)Would Mikel Arteta be a good appointment for PSG? Share your thoughts in the comments below
Despite that, he has admitted that it is “inevitable” that he will quit Arsenal at some point in the future. "As a manager, probably it's the (biggest) fear of getting sacked," Arteta confessed to Michael Calvin's Football People podcast.
"I made a very conscious decision the day I made the decision to become a coach - I said: 'It will happen. Today, tomorrow, in a month's time, in 10 years' time. I don't know when it will happen.'
"That cannot drive my emotion and this cannot be the reason why I do certain things or not. For me now the fear is to let people down."
Since then, Arteta has enjoyed a brilliant campaign at the Emirates Stadium. He helped the club to a second-place finish in the Premier League last term, and with it a place in the Champions League.
They were in the thick of a title race with Manchester City but did not manage to keep their challenge up against Pep Guardiola's treble winners.
With Arteta looking unlikely, PSG might be forced to look at different options. Former Chelsea and Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho has regularly been linked with a move to the Parc des Princes.