‘The game has changed’… Paul Merson just cannot see Arsenal man leaving the Emirates

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Paul Merson says he just cannot see Mikel Arteta leaving Arsenal for Barcelona in the near future.

Mikel Arteta was surprisingly linked with a move to Camp Nou over the weekend after it was announced that Xavi will step down as Barcelona boss this summer. 

It didn’t take long for the Arsenal boss to squash those rumours, claiming he was ‘really upset’ about the speculation.

He said: “It’s totally untrue and I’m really upset about [the rumour]. I’m immersed in a beautiful journey with this club and there is still a lot to do.”

Now, Paul Merson has delivered his verdict on the rumours and believes leaving Arsenal for Barcelona would be a step down for Arteta.

Merson cannot see Arteta leaving Arsenal

Speaking to Sky Sports, Merson explained why he believes Arteta will remain in north London, despite recent reports.

“Mikel Arteta has said he is not happy with reports claiming he will leave this summer to replace Xavi at Barcelona, and has denied it,” the Arsenal legend said. “You have to go with his word.

“The game has changed now, Arsenal is a bigger draw than Barcelona in my opinion.

“Five, 10, 15 years ago, you ask any footballer or manager in the world and they all wanted to play for or manage Real Madrid or Barcelona. That was the pinnacle of your football career.”

Merson makes a great point that it would make little sense for Arteta to swap Arsenal for Barca right now.

The La Liga giants just aren’t the powerhouse they once were at the moment and face a testing road ahead to get back to those heights.

As for Arteta, he has unfinished business at Arsenal. The Spaniard is yet to get his hands on a Premier League title and will be hoping to deliver success in Europe too.

Despite being five years into his project in north London, there is still plenty of work to be done to get Arsenal back amongst Europe’s elite.