Former Arsenal attacker Paul Merson has said that if Arsenal aren’t in the top two by Christmas next season, Mikel Arteta could be in trouble.
The Gunners finished yet another season under Arteta without a trophy. They finished second in the Premier League after beating Newcastle 1-0 over the weekend to secure Champions League football. The best that Arteta’s side did this year was in the Champions League, when they reached the semi-finals against PSG.
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It leaves Mikel Arteta under some pressure heading into next season, when he will be expected to win something after a transfer window in which he should have a healthy budget to invest in a striker, winger and centre-midfielder.
Former Gunner Paul Merson believes that the Arsenal boss could be in trouble if his side aren’t competing for the Premier League title next season. He said on Sky Sports: “This Arsenal team is a good team but you’ve got to go and win something.”
“It’s not as easy as people think to win something and Arsenal keep falling short. Sometimes people fall short and it just becomes normal. That’s a worry. Arteta has got until Christmas. They will have to be in the top two at Christmas to keep on going.
“Arsenal have to make it count now and this is the last year. Before you know it players like Bukayo Saka will start questioning things if they don’t win anything. He’s got to be in the top two by Christmas or they’ll go for someone else.”
Who is the favourite to take over from Arteta at Arsenal?
It doesn’t at the moment look as though Arsenal would move on from Arteta, but if Merson’s prediction is right, there could be a lot of pressure on the Gunners’ boss next season if it starts to head South.
According to Oddschecker, Inter Milan manager Simone Inzhagi is the favourite to take over if Arteta was sacked at odds of 5/1. He has managed to get the Italian side to this year’s Champions League final against PSG.
Massimilano Allegri is the second favourite at odds of 6/1, he is currently without a job, but most recently had an eight year spell at Juventus where he won five Serie A titles.
Former Spurs and Chelsea boss Antonio Conte is third at 8/1, with Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone at 8/1 and Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola at 12/1.
Following those managers, there is a list of four at 12/1, with those being Unai Emery, Xavi, Marco Silva and Zinedine Zidane.
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