Mikel Arteta has slammed reports about him leavning North London as 'Fake News'.

'Angry' Arsenal boss dismisses reports linking him to Barcelona job

Reports in Spain suggested the Gunners boss wanted to leave the Emirates at the end of 2023-24, with a number of outlets in Spain linking him to the Barcelona job after Xavi announced he would be stepping down as head coach at the Nou Camp in the summer.

However, Arteta categorically denied that was the case, slamming the rumours as 'Fake News'. 

Read on for everything the Gunners boss had to say ahead of the trip to the City Ground to take on Nottingham Forest on Tuesday evening. .

on injury updates:

We’ve got some late decisions to make. Thomas won’t be one of those but we have a few that had some issues at the end of the last game and we’re still uncertain with a few players.

on if Partey is in the squad:

Thomas is not in the squad, no. It’s what it is. You want everybody available and he’s a top player for us, really important player for us, but at the moment he’s not fit yet.

on if Rice will be one of the late decisions for the squad:

He is one of the players, yes. He’s done some work but has missed some work as well. Hopefully he’s going to be okay.

on Gabriel’s involvement:

That’s another one, yes.

on if Partey will be involved against Liverpool:

We will see. We will see how it evolves and if that’s too short or that’s okay.

on if the boss will leave in the summer:

Who, me? No, that’s totally fake news. What you read yesterday, I don’t know where it’s coming from. It’s totally untrue and I’m really upset about it.

The Arteta nonsense is exactly what it is: nonsense. Don’t believe a word of it. Same old bullshit from the same old bullshit places

— Layth (@laythy29) January 28, 2024

on the report that came out:

I could not believe it. I don’t know where it’s coming from, it’s got no sources, it’s got nothing and I think we have to be very cautious when we talk about personal things, to put it in the way that it was put yesterday.

on having unfinished business at Arsenal:

I’m in the right place. I’m with the right people, I feel really good about it and, as I said many times, I’m immersed in a beautiful journey with this football club, these players, this staff and our people and I’m investing still a lot for them.

on the boss’ previous association with Barcelona:

That’s something that we cannot control. This is part of football. That’s something very different to someone putting out a statement for something that I’m doing. That’s very different. The other one is it’s just a part of football and this industry, that’s it.

on the boss’ contract:

I’ve got a strong relationship with the board, with Edu, the team, with ownership. Things come in a natural way and we’ve always done it that way and it’s been done really well. When the time is right we’ll have those discussions and I’ll think about the best way to do that.

on the manner of our performance against Crystal Palace after three consecutive losses:

When the team performs the way we did and lose games, I was hoping that it would not carry on the way it did, but this is football and it can still happen, but I was very confident that it was coming because I could see the team, the way it was playing, performing, and how upset and angry they were not to have what we deserved. As well, I think it was a motivation after the break to put it right and get back on track.

on Nottingham Forest’s potential absentees due to AFCON:

I see what we can manage with our preparation and this is what we have tried to do against a team with a manager who I know really well. It’s going to be extremely competitive and we’ve had some really bad experiences over there in the last two seasons, so we’re going to have to be really good to beat them.

on Gabriel Martinelli getting his confidence back after scoring twice against Crystal Palace:

Absolutely. Sharing the goals is really important but for individuals there is confidence and taking some anxiety away from it and actually scoring two beautiful goals like we did is going to make him a lot of positive things.

on Jurgen Klopp’s legacy in the Premier League:

I think he’s made this league much better. First of all the person, the character, the charisma, the way of transmitting his ideas and passion for the game is something special. He’s had a big contribution for the growth of this league and I love the way he did it. The emotion that he put in and when you see the human side explaining the reasons behind it and the challenges and everything that is related to our job, I think it was spot on. When someone has done what he’s done for that football club in the league you have to respect that and basically say thank you because I think he made the league better, every manager better and this league much more beautiful and intense.

on if it’s harder now to be successful as a Premier League manager compared to previous years:

I cannot respond to that question. I’ve just spoken with Arsene and he took his job like we all do. We put so many hours and our lives to it and sometimes you feel that you don’t have it anymore. It can happen when you’re a player, when you do any job, and as a manager you have to be cautious managing that energy and your time and how much you invest on that because it is extremely demanding. I love it, I’m young and I have a lot of energy, but I understand that after so many years, I think with Jurgen it was 24 years doing different jobs in different countries, it’s something that naturally happens.

on how the boss keeps going with the same level of passion and commitment:

I think it’s because I love what I do. I love every minute and I get a lot of joy with waking up every morning and knowing that I have to drive to Colney and I’m going to meet these people, spend time together with them, and prepare to be better for the next day. That’s what drives you, it drives you when you feel respected, when you feel loved as well, when you see a clear direction and ambition what you want do as a club and as a team, and this is where we are right now.

on why the boss was angry about yesterday's report regarding his future for himself or for the fans:

Well, one is the consequence of the other. First of all, because I’m really cautious of when I talk publicly about my personal things, and when someone puts out a statement about what I said or did, it is upsetting. I understand that we are in this industry, and the second one is that no-one deserves to hear that in news like that. I’ve always been really straight, and I will say completely the opposite [to that] of how happy and grateful I am, and how much I enjoy where I am right now, so that’s the reason why I’m upset.  

on how we'll keep going full pelt for the remainder of the season:

Well, we’ve done that for the first six months, we’ve been there and there have been moments where we’ve been second, third or fourth. We were first as well for periods right before Christmas or during Christmas, and how we have to catch up. The best way to do it, is to continue to play how we’ve been playing, get results, get momentum, and put that to work through victories. At the moment, it doesn’t depend on us, but there is still so much football to play.

on the job Mikel has at this club:

There is a lot to do here as well, we all share that ambition, and you can feel it as well that we want more. We’re not satisfied, and the club wants to take another push and another level in everything that we’re doing. This is where we are, everybody on board to achieve it and I’m certainly on board.

on if the boss has had any contract discussions:

No, we haven’t, but this is something that would happen naturally when it has to happen, if it has to happen, and that’s it.

on where the boss feels he has taken the club so far:

I always felt it was our team, it was my team, because when you make the decision to coach or manage a club, you have to make those players your own, in the same way as the staff. Players signed by another manager, you try and make them your own to maximise as you want. We had two years of a very difficult Covid situation that we cannot forget, and then my job became more normal within the complexity of the situation we had, much more normal and doable hopefully. I’m enjoying it a lot, and I feel that we are on the right track, but again we are still very far from my vision of where this club and team has to be.

on whether the Covid years had a big bearing:

I don’t know. We navigated some difficult moments and challenges that we had through Covid, I think in a really powerful way. Hopefully my belief is that that created emotionally a more strong attachment and belief that we were the right people to take the club forward. It happened for a reason, and I think we used it in the right way.  

on whether there is a big opportunity to try and dominate the league with Klopp leaving:

We don’t know. I think we have to take care of our own business; we have a lot here still to do. What others do, we don’t know, and sometimes there’s a new manager who has a really great impact straightaway and there are some cases in this league where this has happened in the past, and then sometimes, as you’ve said, there is a transition. We cannot control it, so let’s focus on what we can do.

on whether Mikel could ever see himself managing another Premier League club:

Today, no! But I don’t know. I played for two great clubs in this country, I moved around in different things, I’m extremely young and I don’t know what’s going to happen.