Mikel Arteta closer to Premier League rivals than Arsenal as Spaniard refuses to guarantee stay at Emirates beyond next season: Reports

Mikel Arteta could join Manchester City instead of renewing his contract at Arsenal, claims Spanish publication El Nacional.

The Spanish tactician recently failed to hand the Gunners their first Premier League title in 20 years after finishing second to Manchester City this season. For the second campaign running, the north Londoners have narrowly missed out on beating Pep Guardiola's team.

As the season comes to a close, a matter of discussion at the Emirates is surrounding Arteta's contract. His current deal expires in a year's time, and the aforementioned report claims that the ex-Everton midfielder could move on.

It is suggested that Arteta is looking for a higher budget and he could be on his way to Manchester City to take over from Pep Guardiola. Of course, this option seems reasonable, given the Gunners manager spent three years serving as Guardiola's assistant before moving to north London.

However, it's unlikely that Arteta would consider moving away, especially after he's brought Arsenal back to competing for major honors. This season, the Gunners also made it to the quarter-finals of the Champions League, where Bayern Munich knocked them out by a narrow margin.

Arteta came to the Emirates in December 2019 and has managed 231 matches across competitions to date. He's yet to win the Premier League or Champions League but already has an FA Cup title and two Community Shields to his name at Arsenal.

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What Mikel Arteta said about his contractual situation at Arsenal in April

Mikel Arteta

Mikel Arteta failed to confirm his future plans at Arsenal when asked about his contractual situation in April this year. The Gunners boss was also linked with a move to Barcelona at the time.

However, he simply insisted that he was happy with the team and is focused on the rest of the season. Speaking to reporters at the time, Arteta said about the situation (via GOAL):

"No, nothing. I am really happy. I still have a year in my contract, that's a long time in football. The players are happy, the club is happy, no issues. I'm just focusing on the games and winning football matches and that's the most important thing right now."

This season, Arteta's men won 28 league contests while losing five and drawing the same number of games. This marks the club's most Premier League victories in a single season.