Arsenal were furious about one report that emerged about Mikel Arteta this season.
That is according to Charles Watts, who, speaking on Inside Arsenal, discussed Mikel Arteta’s recent links to Barcelona.
Arteta was linked with a move to Barcelona by the Spanish press a few months ago, and the Arsenal boss was very quick to dismiss those rumours.
Speaking on Inside Arsenal, Watts has again touched on those reports, and he says that, uncharacteristically, Arsenal weren’t happy about these rumours, claiming that there was a genuine anger within the club that these reports had done the rounds.
Arsenal were angry with Mikel Arteta to Barcelona rumours
Watts shared what he knows about how Arsenal felt about these reports about the £158k-a-week man.
“I remember when that report came out from that Spanish newspaper that he was leaving and it was suggested he could go to Barcelona,” Watts’ co-host said.
“He was furious about that he was furious about that report that came out in Spain and Arsenal were as well,” Watts said.
“Usually, as a journalist when you go to a club and you see a story like that and they would normally say ‘we’re not talking about that.’ But there was genuine anger that had been put out there from all parties.”
Arteta isn’t going anywhere
It’s fair to say that Mikel Arteta isn’t going anywhere.
Arsenal fans may have worried again this week when Xavi’s departure from Barcelona was reported after a second U-turn by the Catalan club.
However, by the sounds of it, there’s nothing to the links between Arteta and Barcelona, and if you were to suggest otherwise, you’d probably get on the wrong side of Arsenal.
The Gunners are refusing to entertain any notion of their manager leaving, and it looks as though Arteta will be at Arsenal for the long-run.