It seems as though Rio Ferdinand has opened a can of worms when he suggested Mikel Arteta would leave Arsenal to join Manchester United.
There is every chance that Arsenal become champions of England again in May, and if that happens, then the stature of the man in their dugout will go through the roof.
Even recently, there was talk of Barcelona wanting to hire Mikel Arteta as their next coach, but this was something that was swiftly shut down by the man himself.
And Darren Bent was also keen to do that when Manchester United fan and talkSPORT presenter Andy Goldstein suggested Mikel Arteta would leave for the Old Trafford dugout.
The former Tottenham striker, who is a boyhood Arsenal fan, stated that there is ‘no way on this planet’ such a move would happen, as he told talkSPORT (27/02/24 at 5:55 pm).
There is no doubt that Arsenal and Manchester United are two of the biggest clubs in England, even fans from the north London club would accept and acknowledge that their rivals are bigger because of what they have achieved.
But that all of that is in the past and it’s about the here and now. The proof is in the pudding. Arsenal are near the top and Man United are struggling to get into the top four.
That was something Darren Bent was keen to clarify when hearing Rio Ferdinand’s original comments about Mikel Arteta.
Would Mikel Arteta leave Arsenal for Manchester United?
“I am glad they are all laughing at that,” said Bent. Andy Goldstein responded: “I don’t understand why you are laughing at that.”
The former England striker then added: “There is no way on this planet, as we sit right now, that Arteta is leaving, with what he has built at Arsenal. We are now challenging again.”
Goldstein interrupted: “What has he built? Failure? Didn’t you challenge last season?”
Bent then made it clear: “There is no way he is leaving for Manchester United. If we are going backwards what are you guys doing then?”
AG: “I don’t think you understand the juggernaut Manchester United are as a club.”
DB: “You will never ever get an argument from me about how big Manchester United are. But sometimes people get confused with the Manchester United of old and where Manchester United currently sits now. So, you want Arteta, who is pushing for the league which they still are and in the Champions League, to leave for a club that went bottom of your Champions League group?”
AG: “You are missing my point. He’s not going to that club that’s bottom of the group. You are going to the biggest club in the world, or one of, Arsenal will never be that. They will never be Man United.”
Who will win the Premier League title first – Arsenal or Manchester United?
The obvious answer here might be Arsenal because they are an arm’s length away and it’s all about trying to cope with these coming months.
But if the Gunners miss out again and shoot themselves in the foot, then the pressure will be back on Arteta.
The former midfielder must deliver the title at some point because if he doesn’t this season or the next, he might find himself out of a job.
But given how Arsenal are playing, especially from a defensive aspect, this is their best chance since Arsene Wenger and Thierry Henry were side to side to win English football’s biggest crown.
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