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Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has refuted reports suggesting he was poised to leave the club to take over as manager at Barcelona, branding such claims as "fake news." Speculation arose from Spanish media over the weekend, asserting that Arteta had expressed intentions to depart Emirates Stadium and return to Barcelona at the end of the current season.
The rumors intensified following Xavi's announcement on Saturday that he would step down as Barcelona's manager in the summer, amidst a series of disappointing results for the club. Arteta's history with Barcelona, having emerged from its esteemed academy, further fueled speculation of a potential reunion.
However, the 41-year-old manager dismissed the rumors on Monday, affirming his commitment to Arsenal and his determination to guide the team to its first Premier League title since 2004.
"I am in the right place. I am with the right people," Arteta told reporters.
"I feel really good about it. And, as I said many times, I am invested in a beautiful journey with this football club, with these players, these staff, our people.
"There is still a lot to do here. We all share that ambition and you can feel it as well, that we want more, that we aren't satisfied and that the club wants to take another push and another level in everything we are doing.
"This is where we are. We need everyone on board to achieve it and I am certainly on board."
Dismissing the Barca reports as completely fabricated, Arteta admitted he had been upset by the story as he prepares for Tuesday's Premier League trip to Nottingham Forest.
"That's totally fake news. I don't know where it is coming from and it is totally untrue. I am really upset about it," he said.
"I could not believe it. I don't know where it is coming from and it has no source.
"I understand we are in this industry, but I don't think anyone deserves to hear news like that.
"I have always been really straight and always said the complete opposite; how happy I am and how much I enjoy where I am now."
