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Arsenal have initiated talks to replace Mikel Arteta with former Chelsea manager Antonio Conte, according to Italian journalist Tancredi Palmeri (via the Daily Star).
Mikel Arteta seems to be on borrowed time after a disappointing start to the new Premier League campaign. Arsenal currently sit rock bottom in the Premier League table after losing all of their opening three games without scoring a single goal.
Pressure is mounting on Mikel Arteta as Arsenal look to find an adequate replacement for the former Manchester City assistant manager. According to the aforementioned source, the Gunners are interested in bringing in former Chelsea manager Antonio Conte, who has won the Premier League before with the Blues.
Conte is currently out of a job having left Inter Milan this summer following a rift with the board after helping the San Siro club win their first Scudetto in over a decade.
Despite interest from Arsenal, Conte is reportedly not keen on replacing Arteta as the Gunners are without Champions League football or any European football for that matter.
As things stand, Arteta and Arsenal will be hoping for a change of form as the Gunners have relatively easy games coming up against Norwich City and Burnley before taking on Tottenham Hotspur in the North London Derby. The game against Spurs could be a make-or-break match for Mikel Arteta.
Mikel Arteta led Arsenal to their worst season in 25 years
Mikel Arteta made a bright start to his career at Arsenal, leading the Gunners to an FA Cup final victory over Chelsea in 2020, which was followed by a win over Liverpool in the Community Shield.
However, the wheels came off pretty quickly the following season as Arteta could only guide Arsenal to an 8th place finish in the Premier League. This season the Gunners are without any sort of European football for the first time in 25 years which will deprive the club of much-needed revenue in these tough financial times.
Arsenal were the highest spenders in the transfer window just gone by and yet haven't made any notable improvements to their squad. Time is definitely not on Mikel Arteta's side and if Arsenal fail to beat Norwich City this weekend, his time in the dugout might come to an end.
Also Read: David James' column - Ranking the 5 best managers in world football at the moment
