Arsenal suffered another blow in their pursuit of the Premier League title on Wednesday night, prompting more discourse around the future of Mikel Arteta at the Emirates.
Riccardo Calafiori’s 94th-minute own goal saw Wolves hold Arteta’s side to a draw at Molineux, with the Gunners squandering a lead for the third time in their last five league matches. While they still sit five points clear of chasers Manchester City, Wednesday night’s dismal display represented yet another missed opportunity to create a significant gap with their closest rivals.
Arteta is under significant pressure to finally deliver silverware to N5, having not lifted a trophy since 2020, and inevitably, people are beginning to theorise over what might happen if he doesn’t. The Spaniard’s current deal expires in the summer of 2027, and Gunners legend Emmanuel Petit is convinced that his departure is ‘inevitable’, whether it be at that expiration date or even before.
Emmanuel Petit names Mikel Arteta’s likely replacement at Arsenal
The disappointing draw at Wolves has unsurprisingly sparked damning conversations about Arsenal and Arteta in the punditsphere. Martin Keown stressed the importance of Kai Havertz to the Gunners in the aftermath of the clash in the West Midlands, while many more have questioned the North London outfit’s mentality.
Petit, who made over 100 appearances for Arsenal between 1997 and 2000, took a more holistic approach. The Frenchman claimed that Arteta’s departure is ‘inevitable’, and that Barcelona is a likely future destination for the divisive tactician.
“Mikel Arteta will one day manage Barcelona, I think eventually we’ll see that,” Petit told BetBrothers.
“The connections are strong. But I think it depends on how he wants to deal with his managerial career, in terms of having his mind set to be there forever, like a one-club man sort of thing.
“Does he really want to experience football in different countries? To be honest, if he is to leave Arsenal, I see him more likely to go abroad than to another Premier League club. So, obviously, I’d say Barca would be his favourite next move if he were to leave Arsenal.
“To be honest, I don’t know what’s best. If he wins, he will leave. If he doesn’t win, he will leave. I don’t know. If he wins, he might continue to increase the number of trophies.
“We would have to be in Arteta’s head to think what he wants to do in the future. But for me, I see him more on the long term, as long as possible to stay at Arsenal, rather than moving somewhere else, than leaving any time soon.”
Petit then went on to name former Arsenal star Cesc Fabregas as a potential successor to Arteta. Fabregas made over 300 appearances for the Gunners and, like Petit, controversially went on to play for both Barcelona and Chelsea.
“I think Cesc Fabregas will take his time because he has everything he needs at Como,” Petit explained.
“He wants players, they bring him players. Whatever he wants, they bring it to him. And that’s allowing him to have that kind of power in the decision-making.
“I think I saw something this weekend which I haven’t seen throughout the season with Alvaro Morata. Morata got sent off because he reacted to a provocation and Fabregas came out publicly to say, you know, he should know better.
“I think it’s the first time he goes public about a player instead of, you know, going public as he probably did in the past. So for me, that’s showing personality, showing, ‘I’m the boss,’ and that obviously is a sign of ‘I’m going to be here for a while.
“His former clubs will let managers go and obviously Chelsea, Arsenal, I mean really any club at the top, will be looking at him as an option because he’s doing an incredible job at Como.”
Is Cesc Fabregas the right replacement for Mikel Arteta at Arsenal?
Arteta’s Arsenal exit likely isn’t imminent, but he won’t reside in N5 forever. Sporting Director Andrea Berta will no doubt already be devising a succession plan, and it would be no surprise if Fabregas is high on the list of potential candidates.
The World Cup winner currently has Como punching well above their weight in Serie A, sitting in sixth place, level on points with Juventus and above the likes of Atalanta and Lazio. Last term, Fabregas led the Northern Italian side to a tenth place finish, their best since 1987.
| Cesc Fabregas Managerial Statistics | |
| Matches Managed | 67 |
| Wins | 27 |
| Draws | 20 |
| Losses | 20 |
| Win Percentage | 40.3% |
Known for implementing a possession-oriented style, his footballing philosophy should translate to a higher level. Whether Arsenal fans would welcome him back or not after his infamous stint at Chelsea remains to be seen, although if he were to put positive results up early on at the Emirates, it’s likely all would be forgiven.
