Arsenal fans may not like Emmanuel Petit's Mikel Arteta claim

Former Arsenal legend Emmanuel Petit thinks that Mikel Arteta would one day manage Barcelona.

Arteta has been at Arsenal for the last seven years, and he adopted a squad that was not good enough to win titles and has now made them into European powerhouses. They've not won many trophies, but there is potential to win a lot more from this season onwards. It has been what all Arsenal fans have been waiting for for the last decade.

Arsenal finally look like the team every fan wants them to be. All they need now is some success and some experience of winning finals, so that they're able to go over the edge and finally get over the mental block of being trophyless for a period of time.

Petit, however, talks about how one day Arteta could potentially leave Arsenal to manage Barcelona. He was clear that he thinks that he's going to stay at Arsenal for the long term and eventually could move to a team like Barcelona.

Arsenal fans may not like Emmanuel Petit's Mikel Arteta claim

He said: “Mikel Arteta will one day manage Barcelona, I think eventually we'll see that. The connections are strong. But I think it depends on how he wants to deal with his managerial career, in terms of having his mind set to be there forever, like a one-club man sort of thing.

“Does he really want to experience football in different countries? To be honest, if he is to leave Arsenal, I see him more likely to go abroad than to another Premier League club. So, obviously, I'd say Barca would be his favourite next move if he were to leave Arsenal.

“We would have to be in Arteta's head to think what he wants to do in the future. But for me, I see him more on the long term, as long as possible to stay at Arsenal, rather than moving somewhere else, than leaving any time soon."

His take is a hit or miss, simply because the styles of play don't really match. Arsenal and Arteta go hand in hand at the moment. You cannot say Arteta without saying Arsenal and vice versa.

There is a scenario where he could want to move to another team to try another challenge, but in that case, it seems tough to see Barcelona being the team, even though Arteta has links with Barcelona in the past, having played there for a few years.

Arteta's style of football, although it can be very nice to look at in some games, is not the same as what Barcelona usually go for.

Obviously, Arsenal can be that team as well if they have a few players that Barcelona have. You have to play to your advantages. However, Arteta just does not seem like the type of manager who would play a very risky style of football that would expose his backline.

Arteta would play a good brand of football if he does go to Barcelona, and he could be very successful there. But it is just not the way Barcelona have played typically in the past, which is why it is tough for many to imagine Arteta at a team like Barcelona.

On the contrary, top managers always figure out a way to play to the team's strengths, and if that is what Arteta's philosophy is - rather than sticking to the style of coaching that he has built at Arsenal - then he would definitely be successful there.