'Tick many boxes' - PSG interest in hiring Mikel Arteta revealed | OneFootball

As Mikel Arteta prepares to go head to head with former club Paris Saint-Germain for a place in the Champions League final, it's been claimed that he could well have been in the opposite dugout had an interest in 2023 been followed through.

Arteta was appointed as Arsenal manager in late 2019, the chosen successor to Unai Emery after his compatriot had failed to resurrect the Gunners in the wake of Arsene Wenger's exit.

Within months, Arteta had delivered an unlikely FA Cup trophy, and in tandem with sporting director Edu set about rebuilding Arsenal into Premier League title challengers. Things came to fruition in 2022/23 when the Gunners mounted their first title push in 15 years, eventually falling away in the final weeks of the season – largely due to a hugely damaging William Saliba injury.

His impact at Arsenal seemingly caught the attention of PSG, though.

L'Equipe writes that Arteta was considered to "tick many boxes" when the French giants, who were looking to rebuild a new kind of team focused on developing young talents, rather than polished international superstars, were considering options to replace Christophe Galtier.

Mikel Arteta played for PSG early in his career / FRANCOIS GUILLOT/GettyImages

Arteta had the added bonus of already being accustomed to the culture and history at PSG, having spent the 2001/02 season there as a player, on loan from Barcelona.

But early interest was as far as it went. L'Equipe adds that "informal contact" was the extent of it, with no negotiations taking place once it became clear to PSG that Arteta was committed to Arsenal.

Luis Enrique, who has PSG on the cusp of reaching the Champions League final for only the second time in their history, was the man who eventually got the gig and has so far been successful in creating the new vision in the French capital. European glory, which he achieved with Barcelona a decade ago, would be the icing on the cake and the ultimate vindication PSG got the right man.