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Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is reportedly being considered by Real Madrid president Florentino Perez as pressure mounts on Carlo Ancelotti.
Los Blancos are nine points behind Barcelona at the top of La Liga and were beaten by their arch-rivals in the Copa del Rey last week.
Ancelotti led the Spanish giants to Champions League glory last term and his side already have one foot in the quarter-finals of this season’s competition after a 5-2 last-16 first-leg win at Liverpool.
Potential success in Europe is likely to be what is keeping Ancelotti in a job at this moment in time.
A Relevo report claims Perez came down to the dressing room to have a ‘long talk’ with Ancelotti following Sunday’s 0-0 draw at Real Betis.
It is noted that the Madrid president does not do this sort of thing often, but he has been frustrated by some of Ancelotti’s decisions in recent weeks.
Perez was ‘very angry’ following the Copa del Rey semi-final first-leg defeat at home to Barcelona, which has resulted in some ‘tension’.
The atmosphere is ‘not the best’ at this moment in time with Ancelotti’s exit edging closer.
Perez has often showed a lack of patience with managers during his tenure and is reportedly already eyeing up replacements for the former Chelsea and Everton boss.
According to Spanish publication Blanca Remontada, Perez is considering the appointment of Arsenal manager Arteta.
The 40-year-old actually came through the Barcelona youth academy, where he first met Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola.
It is said that Arteta ‘could be the next covered manager of Real Madrid’.
The Spanish manager signed a new contract last year which will last until 2025.
An exit seems pretty unlikely, even if Real Madrid are one of the biggest clubs in world football – if not the biggest.
The rebuilding process in north London under Arteta’s stewardship has been remarkable after it looked like it would not work out on multiple occasions.
The club’s former captain replaced Unai Emery as head coach in December 2019 and won the FA Cup in his maiden campaign in charge.
Winning a major trophy so early on in his managerial career definitely gave him a lot of credit in the bank and without that win, he might have lost his job.
Arteta’s first full season in charge was an extremely difficult one. Arsenal finished eighth in the Premier League, losing 13 of their 38 matches.
Many fans wanted Arteta to be sacked, but the club’s hierarchy stood firm and #TrustedTheProcess.
A fifth-placed finish last term was a step in the right direction, though some fans were obviously frustrated that Arsenal missed out on Champions League football.
A return to Europe’s premier competition beckons, however, with the Gunners top of the Premier League with 12 games remaining.
Champions League football is just the next step for Arteta, and it is very hard to imagine him jumping ship when he still has so much to achieve at the Emirates.
