Mikel Arteta will be hoping that the Premier League season has one last twist in its tale this weekend.
His Arsenal side will kick off against Everton at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday afternoon sitting two points behind Manchester City, knowing that a slip-up from Pep Guardiola’s side will open the door to the Premier League title.
Arsenal have not got their hands on the Premier League trophy for 20 years and should Arteta’s men end up overhauling City on the final day, it will be the greatest day of his managerial career.
Mikel Arteta was Pep Guardiola’s assistant at Manchester City
The Spaniard took over Arsenal in December 2019 and has been able to re-establish the Gunners as title contenders, dragging the team up from an eighth-place finish in his first full season in charge to second place last year.
Regardless of whether or not Arsenal are able to upset the odds and win the title on Sunday, the 42-year-old has established himself as an elite manager with a bright future in the game.
And while Guardiola’s former Man City assistant is happy in north London, he has admitted that he would like to return to Spain one day.
“I have always thought that one day I will return,” Arteta said, speaking at the UK Spanish Embassy on Wednesday.
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“My home draws me a lot, our way of living, of getting together, the culture – and that means I always have it in my head.
“‘But I am happy here [at Arsenal], happy with how they treat me, and I really enjoy my job.
“But someday I suppose it will come, I’m not going to be away for my whole life.”
One job which may interest Arteta in the future could be the Barcelona job, as the former midfielder began his senior club career for the Catalonian side in the late 1990s.
Barca saw their bitter rivals Real Madrid reclaim the La Liga title this season, with manager Xavi Hernandez performing a U-turn and will stay at the club for one more season after initially choosing to stand down at the end of the current campaign.
Should the job come up again in 2025, Arteta may well find his name in the frame.
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