Newcastle made a play to hire current Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta as their new manager back in 2019, with owner Mikel Ashley prepared to back him with a rarely seen contract
Mikel Arteta was offered a long-term deal to lead Newcastle, even though he'd never held the top job before
Mikel Arteta was offered a long-term deal to lead Newcastle, even though he'd never held a top job before
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Newcastle almost landed Mikel Arteta in the summer of 2019 - months before he joined Arsenal - with the Spaniard tempted by the role.
The Magpies had just seen Rafa Benitez depart, which greatly angered fans given his popularity at St James' Park, and Ashley was keen to give Arteta a lengthy deal that showcased his desire to have him on board.
The Newcastle boss was willing to hand out the type of contract that is not normal for a rookie coach, given Arteta's only managerial experience was as a No.2 at Manchester City.
He was genuinely tempted, reports the Telegraph, and made moves to assemble a backroom staff to aid him in the north east. Having never worked as a No.1 he didn't have previous assistants to fall back on, and those he wanted were unable to join him at the time, leading him to turn down the role.
Newcastle had finished a modest 13th in Benitez's final year and would've, in theory, provided Arteta with the ideal start to his life as a manager. The situation at St James' Park was tense given Benitez's popularity and Ashley's immense unpopularity among the fanbase.
The Magpies had also seen Ayoze Perez and Salomon Rondon leave after the duo had combined to score 23 of the 42 goals that Newcastle scored in previous campaign. They would instead hire Steve Bruce after Arteta's rejection, finishing 13th once again.
Arteta has ultimately proved himself to be among Europe's top managers, ending Arsenal's wait for a Premier League title, but in the years after he was appointed he endured some notable frustration at the hands of Newcastle.
Mike Ashley
Mike Ashley was determined to hire Mikel Arteta when he was still at Manchester City(Image: NurPhoto via Getty Images)
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The 2021-22 campaign was the first in the Arteta era during which Arsenal were clearly competitive, and they recovered from a horror start to challenge for the top four. They had their destiny in their own hands in the final weeks but lost at a resurgent Newcastle in the penultimate game of the season, which saw Tottenham pip them.
In 2025, when Arteta was being mocked for his inability to get over the line, Arsenal were favourites to make the final of the Carabao Cup, but fluffed their lines against Newcastle. Eddie Howe's side would win both games 2-0, securing a 4-0 aggregate win.