The early years of the Premier League were dominated by Arsenal and Manchester United, but now, the landscape at the top looks very different.
Gone are the days of Arsene Wenger and Sir Alex Ferguson, with their respective clubs finding it difficult in their absence, but times move on.
For Arsenal, there were difficulties under Unai Emery, but a slow rebuild under Mikel Arteta has finally seen them return to competing at the top for the very biggest trophies.
The same cannot be said of Manchester United, who have had occasional success with trophies, but are yet to be consistently competitive.
There was some hope that the appointment of Ruben Amorim would bring that success, but there has been little to suggest that will be the case.
The manager’s job could be under threat, and while the Red Devils may look at potential successors, it’s fair to say it is extremely unlikely Arteta is a feasible target, despite what Rio Ferdinand once said about a move.
Rio Ferdinand once claimed Mikel Arteta would leave Arsenal to join Manchester United
Since joining the club, Arteta has shown that he holds every part of it extremely close to his heart, which has motivated much of the rebuild.
It has taken time and patience, with some frustration along the way, but the good times have largely returned to the Emirates Stadium.
The only thing missing now is the trophies to show for that success, and it seems unlikely the Arsenal boss will throw all of that away any time soon.
With the Man United job seeming unstable, it harks back to the ridiculous suggestion from Rio Ferdinand that Arteta would be happy to leave the Gunners for the Red Devils.
Speaking in February 2024 on his YouTube channel, he said: “Arteta would leave Arsenal to join Man United, 100 per cent.
“No one is saying it’s happening but if Man United in a wild dream said, ‘Do you know what, Erik ten Hag, thank you’ or Erik ten Hag has been poached by Bayern Munich, and he goes there, and then Man United say top of the list is Arteta.
“Arteta is going in and saying to the lads, ‘Listen guys, it’s been emotional but I’ve got to move, I’ve got to go’.”
Given the mess Manchester United are currently in, and the processes in place for Arsenal to compete, it underlines just how unlikely that seemed.
Arteta hit back at the time, stating: “No, I think it’s part of our job that we are exposed to the media, to the pundits. And they have their opinions.
“The only thing is that we normally highlight the ones that are not very positive. So we highlight a lot of the time when they say great things, make great comments and great points.
“These are things said like in a really good way and with a vision of someone who has the experience. I think if we do this, it is much better. Sometimes, though, we focus too much on the negative views.”
It certainly hinted at Arteta having no interest in such a discussion, something that would be equally unlikely if the job comes around once again.
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Mikel Arteta’s contract was one of the best bits of business Edu completed before leaving Arsenal
Arteta’s deal with Arsenal was set to come to an end this summer, but fortunately, the departing Edu Gaspar made a wise move.
The sporting director agreed a new contract with Arteta, as he signed a new three-year extension until 2027.
It highlighted the faith from all parties in the direction the club is going, with an exciting future still ahead for the Gunners.
| Matches | Wins | Draws | Defeats |
|---|---|---|---|
| 291 | 174 | 50 | 67 |
It was one of the last actions of Edu, before he left Arsenal in favour of a brand new challenge.
Arteta will need to keep evolving with the club, but it’s clear that he is here to stay for now.
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