Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta was in contention to take over from Ronald Koeman and replace the Dutchman at Barcelona next season. It was rumoured that Joan Laporta, who is aiming for a second stint as Barcelona president, wants the former La Masia graduate and Pep Guardiola assistant, to take charge of the club. Arteta was appointed as Arsenal manager in 2019, guiding the club to FA Cup and Community Shield success. Mikel Arteta, Arsenal Manager, on Barcelona’s Radar To Replace Ronald Koeman As Head Coach.

According to Goal, Mikel Arteta is not in the running to replace Ronald Koeman as the Barcelona manager despite several reports from Spain. The publication added that the Arsenal manager is not an option for the Catalans to be the new head coach if Joan Laporta wins the presidential elections in March.

It is understood that no one from Barcelona has made any contacts with Mikel Arteta regarding the role of manager. The 38-year-old is in his first major managerial job at Arsenal after taking over the duties at the helm from Unai Emery in 2019 following a sting as Pep Guardiola’s assistant at Manchester City.

Ronald Koeman has had a mixed time as Barcelona manager as after a difficult start to the season, the Dutchman has managed to make the team play some decent football but there are high chances of the team going trophyless for another season. The Catalans train by a huge margin in La Liga and have lost their first-leg games in UCL and Copa del Rey by huge margins and a turnaround looks highly improbable.

Though Ronald Koeman’s position is not under threat by Mikel Arteta, there is a huge chance that the new president might opt for a new coach at the start of his tenure. The Dutchman signed a two-year deal with the Catalans at the start of this season, replacing Quique Setien.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 01, 2021 07:04 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).