Arsenal will sack Mikel Arteta if he fails to steer the Gunners to either the Premier League or Champions League trophy this season, in response to reports in Spain.
Arteta, who’s into his sixth full season as Arsenal manager, looked set to oversee a historic season on the Emirates Stadium as his side threatened to win an unprecedented quadruple.
Arsenal were difficult for all 4 trophies this time last month but Arteta’s side fell short within the two domestic cup competitions, losing to Manchester City within 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 prospect 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 got here just 4 days after Arsenal appeared to get their campaign back heading in the right direction with a 1-0 win over Portuguese champions Sporting in the primary leg of their Champions League quarter-final.
That match looked set to finish in a stalemate but Kai Havertz’s injury-time goal means Arsenal have one foot within the semi-finals ahead of the second leg in north London on Wednesday night.
After facing Sporting, Arsenal will turn their attentions to a mouth-watering clash against title rivals Manchester City on the Etihad Stadium.
Various pundits have questioned whether Arsenal would give Arteta much more time if the Gunners were to go a sixth successive season with no trophy.
Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo say Arsenal would indeed be looking for a brand new manager if that was to occur, with Arteta relieved of his duties after almost seven years in charge.
Additionally it is claimed Arsenal have ‘already’ chosen former captain Cesc Fabregas because the ‘ideal candidate’ to switch 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.
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Fabregas has impressed during his first managerial role at Como, who’re currently fifth in Serie A and in contention for Champions League qualification lower than two years after promotion from the second tier.
Como president Mirwan Suwarso recently said he can be ‘silly’ not to assume Fabregas leaving the club in some unspecified time in the future and managing either Arsenal, Chelsea or Barcelona.
‘Cesc is de facto very necessary for us, but we can be silly to not think that sooner or later 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 achieve success, even when I cannot speak for him, I imagine he could have greater dreams.
Having said that, I hope that so long as he’s here he’ll help us create successful plan also for individuals who can have to switch him.
‘For me, when he leaves, if he ever leaves, he needs to be the one to decide on who will take his place. He needs to be involved within the selection.
‘Being a member of the Board of Football, he can have to assist us appoint the subsequent coach.’
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