Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta says stories linking him with succeeding Xavi as Barcelona manager are “completely unfaithful”.
Xavi announced on Saturday that he could be stepping down from the position on the finish of the season.
Spanish newspaper Sport said Arteta, who’s a product of Barcelona’s youth academy, was additionally considering of leaving his publish with the Gunners.
“Who, me? No. That is completely faux information,” mentioned Arteta, whose Arsenal contract runs till the summer season of 2025.
“What you learn, I’m actually upset about it. I could not imagine it. It has no sources.
“I’m in the best place with the best folks and really feel actually good about it.
“I’m embracing a phenomenal journey with this membership and there is nonetheless rather a lot to do. I’ve a robust relationship with the board.
“Things are available in a pure means. When the time is true we may have these [contract] discussions and discover one of the best ways to take care of it.”
Arteta by no means performed a aggressive sport for Barcelona’s first staff and, after a mortgage spell at Paris St-Germain, the previous midfielder went on to play for Rangers, Real Sociedad, Everton and Arsenal.
After retiring, he labored as a coach below Pep Guardiola at Manchester City earlier than taking on as Gunners boss in December 2019.
He received the FA Cup with the north London membership in 2020 and Arsenal completed second to Manchester City within the Premier League final season after being overtaken late within the title race.
The Gunners are third – 5 factors behind leaders Liverpool – within the prime flight going into Tuesday’s sport at Nottingham Forest.
They are additionally nonetheless within the Champions League and face Porto within the final 16.
“There is rather a lot to do right here and all of us share that ambition,” added Arteta.
“We need extra, we aren’t glad and the membership needs one other push to go to a different stage. We have everybody on board to realize it.”
Meanwhile, Bayern Munich have denied boss Thomas Tuchel has proven curiosity in changing Xavi at Barcelona.
The ex-Chelsea boss informed a Bayern followers’ occasion: “Moving overseas would attraction to me once more. Spain has a unprecedented league.
“From my perspective, and based mostly on my expertise working with Spaniards, they are characterised by an incredible quantity of self-confidence. When you communicate with Spanish gamers, I rapidly get the sense that you just are participating with the particular person.”
But a Bayern assertion learn: “Our head coach Thomas Tuchel was requested by supporters on Sunday as a part of a fan membership go to about his teaching profession and his earlier experiences overseas at Paris St-Germain and Chelsea, and naturally offered details about this in the course of the dialogue.
“He additionally answered normal questions from followers about Spain as a footballing nation. He by no means spoke about Xavi Hernandez and his successor, as was falsely claimed afterwards. We will now not settle for such non-factual statements directed towards our coach, which all the time come from the identical supply.”
