Arsenal: Arteta's successor may already be known!

Europe 19 February 2026 at 07:38

Mahdi Zakaria LAZRI

News Editor

Mikel Arteta is currently sitting firmly atop English football with Arsenal, but his future may already be taking shape elsewhere. According to Emmanuel Petit, the current Gunners manager will sooner or later leave London to take on a more prestigious challenge elsewhere in Europe.

Read also: Ramadan: Barça's special plan for Lamine Yamal

Arteta heading to Barcelona?

Speaking to BetBrothers, the former World Cup winner believes the Spaniard is destined to return to his Catalan roots.

“Mikel Arteta will one day manage Barcelona, I think we’ll end up seeing it,” Petit insisted,

highlighting the strong bond between the coach and his formative club, La Masia.

The Frenchman went even further, suggesting a scenario where Arteta’s departure is inevitable, no matter the final sporting outcome:

“If he wins, he’ll leave. If he doesn’t win, he’ll leave,” he stated,

hinting that the call of Camp Nou could prove irresistible.

If Arteta does depart, Petit already envisions a natural successor: Cesc Fabregas, who is currently making waves on the Como bench in Serie A.

Related teams and leagues

Arsenal