Arsenal make Mikel Arteta sack decision and choose ‘ideal replacement’

Mikel Arteta has been at Arsenal since 2019 (Picture: Getty)

Arsenal will sack Mikel Arteta if he fails to lead the Gunners to either the Premier League or Champions League trophy this season, according to reports in Spain.

Arteta, who is into his sixth full season as Arsenal manager, looked set to oversee a historic season at the Emirates Stadium as his side threatened to win an unprecedented quadruple.

Arsenal were challenging for all four trophies this time last month but Arteta’s side fell short in the two domestic cup competitions, losing to Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final before an FA Cup quarter-final defeat to Championship side Southampton.

The Gunners are still favourites to win the Premier League, a trophy that has eluded them since 2004, but a disappointing 2-1 defeat at home to Bournemouth on Saturday has given chasing Man City more hope.

Arsenal had the chance to go 12 points clear of Pep Guardiola’s side, who face Chelsea on Sunday afternoon, but a deserved defeat has put more questions marks over the Gunners’ title aspirations.

The Bournemouth loss came just four days after Arsenal appeared to get their campaign back on track with a 1-0 win over Portuguese champions Sporting in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final.

That match looked set to end in a stalemate but Kai Havertz’s injury-time goal means Arsenal have one foot in the semi-finals ahead of the second leg in north London on Wednesday night.

Arteta during Arsenal’s defeat to Bournemouth (Picture: Getty)

After facing Sporting, Arsenal will turn their attentions to a mouth-watering clash against title rivals Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium.

A number of pundits have questioned whether Arsenal would give Arteta even more time if the Gunners were to go a sixth successive season without a trophy.

Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo say Arsenal would indeed be searching for a new manager if that was to happen, with Arteta relieved of his duties after almost seven years in charge.

Ex-Arsenal captain and Como boss Cesc Fabregas (Picture: Getty)

It is also claimed Arsenal have ‘already’ chosen former captain Cesc Fabregas as the ‘ideal candidate’ to replace Arteta should the Spaniard be moved on.

Fabregas spent almost a decade at Arsenal as a player, helping Arsene Wenger’s side win the FA Cup and reach the Champions League final before moving to Barcelona.

The Premier League legend later had a successful spell at Arsenal’s London rivals Chelsea before retiring in 2023 and going into management.

Fabregas has impressed during his first managerial role at Como, who are currently fifth in Serie A and in contention for Champions League qualification less than two years after promotion from the second tier.

Como president Mirwan Suwarso recently said he would be ‘stupid’ not to imagine Fabregas leaving the club at some point and managing either Arsenal, Chelsea or Barcelona.

‘Cesc is really very important for us, but we would be stupid not to think that one day he could go to Arsenal, Barcelona or Chelsea,’ Como’s chief told Italian outlet Revista Undici.

‘If he continues to win with us or in any case to be successful, even if I cannot speak for him, I believe he could have bigger dreams.

Having said that, I hope that as long as he is here he will help us create a success plan also for those who will have to replace him.

‘For me, when he leaves, if he ever leaves, he should be the one to choose who will take his place. He should be involved in the choice.

‘Being a member of the Board of Football, he will have to help us appoint the next coach.’

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