David Seaman issues verdict on reports Barcelona want Mikel Arteta as next manager

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David Seaman has reacted to reports linking Mikel Arteta with leaving Arsenal to take the Barcelona job in the summer.

Arsenal fans would have probably expected to see Mikel Arteta linked with the Barca job as soon as Xavi announced that he would be leaving the club at the end of the season.

Arteta came through the ranks at La Masia. And of course, it is going to be incredibly difficult for any manager in the world to turn down the chance to work at Barcelona.

David Seaman would be devastated if Mikel Arteta decided to leave Arsenal for Barcelona

In fact, reports in Spain at one stage claimed that Arteta was even ready to leave Arsenal at the end of the campaign so he could step into the Camp Nou hot-seat (via The Sun).

Of course, the reports would have immediately been written off by many. Arteta has done a remarkable job at Arsenal. And it really feels as though the Gunners are yet to reach their ceiling. Once again, they find themselves in Premier League title contention this season.

Arteta has already insisted that there is absolutely nothing in the reports. And that will be music to the ears of David Seaman.

Speaking on his Seaman Says podcast, Seaman suggested that he would be devastated if Arteta did decide to leave the Emirates in the coming months.

“I saw the rumours of that I was thinking no. Because what he is doing at Arsenal, he is building and it is getting better and better. It would be a disaster for Arsenal if he was to leave,” he said.

“When you are going on to Barcelona that is an incredible opportunity if that is there. Do I want him to go? No I don’t. From what I am seeing him building at Arsenal he is going in the right direction every season. I want him to stay.”

Gunners boss may not need to wait for long for Camp Nou post to come up again

It is clear that Arteta, right now, has no intention of leaving Arsenal. However, so much can change over the course of the next few months.

So it is dangerous to say never say never while Barcelona have not filled the vacancy.

What you can say however, is that Xavi is Barca’s eighth boss since Pep Guardiola stepped down in 2012. So if Arteta is interested but not entirely happy with the timing, the opportunity to return to Catalonia will probably come up again in the near future anyway.