Arsenal already line up Mikel Arteta replacement with Real Madrid lurking

Look, fans won’t like to hear this, but it’s important that Arsenal have a contingency plan if things start to dissolve. Too often in the past, what’s affected Arsenal is their inability to plan for the worst. A little bit of healthy pessimism doesn’t hurt anybody.

Mikel Arteta is linked with Real Madrid. We don’t like to talk about it because in the most ideal world, Arteta will stay at Arsenal forever and we’ll win if not challenge for the title for the rest of our lives. This isn’t likely as Arteta is still a young manager and has a long career ahead of him.

What Arteta has built at Arsenal is incredible, so it’s no surprise to see big clubs want to secure him. However, the Gunners have the advantage here because Arteta was given a new contract, which some people critiqued at the time, but now it looks like one of the wisest business moves from the club.

Regardless, it remains a possibility that Arteta could join Real Madrid. I must emphasise the could because at the moment, it looks more likely that he’ll stay at Arsenal. At least for another season after this one.

Therefore, Arsenal have devised a contingency plan. Just in case, Brighton and Hove Albion manager Roberto de Zerbi is seen as the most favourable option to come in and replace Mikel Arteta should he join Real Madrid. It’s thought that the Gunners board like what he’s done at the club, and he’s the closest they can find on the market to Arteta, according to the Mirror.

My personal opinion is that Arteta won’t join Real Madrid. Even when he was at City, his dream was always to manage the Gunners. Given his age and what he’s achieved already at the club, he’s setting the foundations to be a real club legend, both as a player and manager.

Do you think Mikel Arteta would leave Arsenal?