Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta shrugs off PSG job links: ‘I am extremely happy here’

Mikel Arteta insists he is “extremely happy” at Arsenal after being linked with a move to Paris Saint-Germain.

Reports in France this week claimed that PSG have included the Gunners manager on their shortlist of candidates to replace Mauricio Pochettino at the end of the season.

Arteta will enter the final year of his contract at Arsenal this summer, though the club are planning talks over a new deal.

The Spaniard spent a season on loan at PSG at the start of his playing career and has impressed the club’s hierarchy with the job he has done at Arsenal.

But Arteta, who leads Arsenal into tonight’s game against Liverpool sitting fourth and in pole position to qualify for the Champions League, has no intention of leaving.

Asked what his message was to Arsenal fans who fear he could be lured away by PSG, Arteta said: “It’s very simple. I am extremely happy here and grateful that this is where I am.”

Mikel Arteta has no intention of leaving Arsenal for Paris Saint-Germain this summer
Arsenal FC via Getty Images

Arsenal are expected to hold contract talks with Arteta in the summer, meaning the Spaniard can for now fully focus on the club’s push to qualify for the Champions League.

The Gunners are in fine form and go into tonight’s game at Emirates Stadium having won five Premier League matches in a row. They are one point ahead of Manchester United in fifth, with three games in hand.

Arteta believes this is the best Arsenal have performed since he was hired in December 2019, but insists there is still plenty of work to do.

“This is never going to stop, this is a constant evolution because the level is not here,” he added. “The level that Premier League teams used to play and produce in terms of numbers, in terms of stats, has gone through the roof.

“In the history of the Premier League it never existed at that level of playing and competition. So we don’t know where that limit is.

“Every plan that we do is with players and people that have the mentality that this going to keep evolving, that it is never going to be good enough. And to do that you need to always get people that are aligned with that vision.”

Tonight will be the fourth time Arsenal have played Liverpool this season and they have yet to beat them.

Despite that, there is optimism going into the match at Emirates Stadium given Arsenal’s fine form, but Arteta is keen to keep feet on the ground.

“We haven’t done anything [yet],” he said. “What we are doing is try to improve, understand better what we want, being much more consistent in performance and results, but nothing else as yet.”

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