Emmanuel Petit reveals the one job that could tempt Mikel Arteta to leave Arsenal

Emmanuel Petit reveals the one job that could tempt Mikel Arteta to leave Arsenal James Goldman Published December 3, 2025 2:45pm Updated December 3, 2025 2:45pm Share this article via whatsappShare this article via xCopy the link to this article.Link is copiedShare this article via facebook Comment now Comments Mikel Arteta is currently under contract at Arsenal until the summer of 2027 (Picture: Getty)

Emmanuel Petit fears the lure of Barcelona could tempt Mikel Arteta to turn his back on Arsenal and seek a fresh challenge.

The Gunners boss is set to celebrate his sixth year in charge later this month, but for all the progress they have made under his charge major silverware has continued to elude the club.

Following an unprecedented summer of spending Arsenal are again in position to contest for major honours given they lead the way in the Premier League and Champions League table, while they have also progressed to the quarter finals of the Carabao Cup ahead of a last eight home tie against Crystal Palace.

Should Arteta end Arsenal’s trophy drought this season Petit, who himself swapped Barcelona for Arsenal during his playing days, fears the Spaniard could be tempted to return to his boyhood club.

‘Mikel Arteta could be tempted to come back to Spain, especially to a club he knew when he was very young,’ Petit told Snabbare.

Get personalised updates on Arsenal everyday

Wake up to find news on your club in your inbox every morning with Metro’s Football Newsletter.

Sign up to our newsletter and then select your team in the link we’ll send you so we can get football news tailored to you.

‘Honestly, with the work he’s doing, can you imagine if he wins something at the end of the season?

‘He would probably say, ‘Okay, fair enough. For me, after almost seven years, I’ve done it with Arsenal. I think it’s time for me to see something else.’ I can understand that.

Mikel Arteta began his coaching career at Barcelona (Picture: Getty)

‘But, in a way, I can also understand that if Barcelona knocks at your door, you will think, ‘Okay, listen, Barcelona is one of the greatest clubs in the world. I’ll be back in Spain, and the lifestyle is good for my family.’

‘I can understand everything, but here we go, it’s very simple, you will probably fight for the title in Spain, but there is no way you will fight for the Champions League.

‘Everything is based, most of it, on Lamine Yamal. They have top players in Barcelona, but they don’t have world-class players, just like Lionel Messi was back in the day.

‘Can you win the Champions League with these defenders? No way! That’s impossible. They concede so many goals. We saw that last season in the semi-finals against Inter.

Mikel Arteta has won just won major trophy as Arsenal manager (Picture: Getty)

‘How can you concede 7 goals in the semi-finals? Then you will tell me, ‘Yeah, but they scored six again. If you take away Lamine Yamal, what’s going on at Barcelona? Offensively yes, not defensively. It’s like a casino, they’ve bet everything on Lamine Yamal.

More Trending

1. 

   Man Utd put 'struggling' £50m player up for sale ahead of January transfer window

   Channel: Football Football 4 hours ago By Liam Grace
2. Pep Guardiola makes Chelsea title race claim after Man City avoid Fulham scare
3. Arsenal 'seriously consider' bid for £61m star as Mikel Arteta blocks January exit
4. Man Utd rival Real Madrid for £53m signing as Ruben Amorim agrees to sell flop

‘Lamine Yamal by himself cannot win the Champions League. Messi, with all the respect, I have such huge respect for him, he would not have been winning the Champions League if he didn’t have Xavi, Andres Iniesta, Carles Puyol, those guys.

‘And actually, if Arteta, as I said, spent seven years at Arsenal, if he wins something, he will probably say, ‘Okay, I will go to Barcelona, but something has to be changed, especially defensively.’

‘Because look at what he’s done so far with Arsenal. He brought success, he improved the team step by step from the back. He’s had the best defense in Europe for years now. They score goals because, behind, he’s got bosses.’

Arrow MORE: Wes Brown identifies the signing Man Utd should make in January

Arrow MORE: Ruben Amorim reveals two mystery injury doubts ahead of Man Utd vs West Ham

Arrow MORE: Man Utd braced for transfer battle as Barcelona step up interest in academy wonderkid

Comment now Comments Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google Add as preferred source Football Newsletter – In The Mixer

Punchy analysis, transfer talk and more from Metro's football experts, sent straight to your inbox every week.

Team Expand Options ?

Let us know which team you support. Close

Select All Select All Arsenal Arsenal Aston Villa Aston Villa Bournemouth Bournemouth Brighton Brighton Burnley Burnley Chelsea Chelsea Crystal Palace Crystal Palace Everton Everton Fulham Fulham Leeds United Leeds United Liverpool Liverpool Manchester City Manchester City Manchester United Manchester United Newcastle Newcastle Nottingham Forest Nottingham Forest Sunderland Sunderland Tottenham Tottenham West Ham West Ham Wolves Wolves Email I agree to receive newsletters from Metro I agree to receive newsletters from Metro Sign UpSign Up

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Your information will be used in line with our Privacy Policy