Mikel Arteta came close to joining Newcastle before Arsenal
Mikel Arteta could have been managing Newcastle United instead of Arsenal, with a new report revealing just how close the Spaniard came to taking the job at St James’ Park in 2019.
According to The Telegraph’s Sam Dean, former owner Mike Ashley pushed hard to appoint Arteta following Rafael Benitez’s departure, even offering the then inexperienced coach an unusually long contract in an attempt to convince him to move to Tyneside.
Arteta seriously considered Newcastle job
Arteta was working as Pep Guardiola’s assistant at Manchester City when Newcastle approached him in the summer of 2019.
Following Benitez’s exit, Ashley was determined to bring the Spaniard to St James’ Park and was prepared to offer him a contract far longer than would normally be expected for someone who had never managed a first team.
According to Dean, Arteta was genuinely tempted by the opportunity. Having finished 13th in the Premier League the previous season, there appeared to be scope for improvement without immediately facing a relegation battle.
Why he turned down Ashley's offer
As The Telegraph highlight, there were several obstacles that stopped Arteta from taking the job in the end.
The Spaniard would've been replacing the popular Rafa Benitez, who fans were desperate to keep at the time, and worked under the unpopular and unpredictable Mike Ashley.
Arteta would've also inherited a squad about to lose the likes of Ayoze Perez and Salomon Rondon, just after the pair had contributed 23 of Newcastle’s 42 Premier League goals in 2018/19.
The current Arsenal boss also wanted to bring his own coaching staff with him, but the timing was not right for several of his preferred appointments.
Ultimately, despite serious consideration, he turned down Newcastle’s offer and remained at Manchester City, with Toon chiefs later turning to Steve Bruce instead as Benitez's eventual replacement.
Considering what came next - Bruce's arrival and a takeover in 2021 - it feels like quite a what-if moment in Newcastle's recent history and a decision Arteta will look back on with relief given what he's gone on to achieve with the Gunners.
