Mikel Arteta is under pressure after handing control in the Premier League title race to his and Arsenal’s biggest enemies, Manchester City.

Well, if we are being completely honest, Arsenal’s biggest enemy is probably Arsenal.

In 2022/23, they collapsed under the pressure of a City team that went on to win the Treble. But it was a title race that came too early for a young squad.

After improving in the summer 2023 transfer window with the club-record signing of Declan Rice and the heavily scrutinised £60million addition of Kai Havertz, there was no bottlejob that decided the title race as Arsenal went near-perfect in the second half of the season.

Arsenal were never really there in 2024/25 but have been the favourites for the majority of this campaign, and still remain favourites, which is important to emphasise.

Arteta and his players will hope this proves to be just a blip, yet the signs are daunting considering Arsenal’s latest dropped points came after squandering a 2-0 lead against one of the worst teams in Premier League history.

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After drawing 2-2 against bottom club Wolves, the knives are out. Arteta’s pragmatism is again being used as a stick to beat him and Arsenal with, and supporters are once again fearing a colossal bottlejob.

It would be just that, as every other top team has been rubbish this campaign, with the exception of Man City, who have only been pretty rubbish.

With Arsenal so tedious to watch, so unnecessarily negative, and now fearing another second-place finish, there is growing discussion about Arteta’s long-term future at the Emirates and whether missing out on the Premier League title should see the club replace him with someone capable of delivering the biggest prizes.

But who is even out there? Are there any world-class managers the Arsenal hierarchy would view as an upgrade? And someone so guaranteed to end a two-decade wait for the Premier League trophy that they are worth getting rid of such an influential manager in the club’s recent history?

It will be worth asking the question in May if the Gunners do bottle it again.

We are kind of asking it now. So, who could come in if Arsenal decide Arteta’s race is run? Here are six genuine names.

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Six best candidates to replace Mikel Arteta at Arsenal

Hansi Flick

There might not be a better option than Flick for an Arsenal squad crying out for the handbrake to be taken off. The issue is his availability, or lack of it.

Why would a successful Barcelona manager leave Barcelona? He has Lamine Yamal. He has Pedri. He has Joan Garcia. He has Raphinha, Frenkie de Jong, Jules Kounde. He has an outstanding squad and many would argue he is managing the biggest club in the world.

Perhaps the Arsenal project and managing the Premier League title favourites would excite him more after two seasons in Catalonia. He has never managed in England before and is one of the most decorated club managers in recent years. It would be a coup for the Gunners and the perfect appointment for an exciting group of players.

Yes, they are exciting. Their pragmatic approach to winning football matches might have convinced you otherwise, but Bukayo Saka, Eberechi Eze, Noni Madueke, Viktor Gyokeres and Gabriel Martinelli are some of Arsenal’s most dynamic players. They might need a more attack-minded coach to get the absolute best out of them. Flick is the man.

🤔 Can Mikel Arteta handle a squad overflowing with attacking talent?

Critics suggest his tactics are better suited for underdogs than elite frontlines. pic.twitter.com/4LI2vFlo6K

— RazedFootball (@RazedFootball) February 20, 2026

Luis Enrique

The Paris Saint-Germain manager has been linked with Manchester United, but it would be a no-brainer if, by some miracle, it came down to them and Arsenal in the summer.

The obvious downside is that Enrique has never managed in England. The big upside that makes that irrelevant is that he has done fantastically well wherever he has managed, with the exception of Roma. From his early days at Celta Vigo to perennial French champions Paris Saint-Germain via Barcelona and the Spanish national team, he has impressed.

Winning Ligue 1 with PSG isn’t a massive achievement, but winning the Treble is, especially when that Treble includes the Champions League for the first time. The Parisians were among the most convincing final victors in the competition’s history when they demolished Inter, and beating three Premier League sides in Liverpool, Aston Villa and Arsenal in the knockout rounds, and Man City in the league phase, bodes very well.

He would bring a much-needed winning mentality to Arsenal and, given his uncertain PSG future, is the most realistic genuinely elite option.

Xabi Alonso

Out of work after leaving Real Madrid, Alonso’s first Premier League managerial venture is expected to be with Liverpool, a club he represented 210 times as a player, though Manchester City have also been linked as Pep Guardiola’s future remains uncertain.

Alonso’s failed Madrid stint will not put off other elite clubs. He left having lost an impossible-to-manage dressing room consisting of rebellious, lazy players. It’s clear he can still cut it at Liverpool, Bayern Munich, Manchester City… or Arsenal.

It feels like Alonso’s managerial career will echo much of his playing career, having already managed Madrid, been previously linked with Bayern, and currently linked with Liverpool, while he’s already ticked off Real Sociedad in some capacity.

Arsenal don’t have a difficult dressing room and arguably should have been more successful over the last three years. Alonso would be foolish to turn them down if they do come calling. And Arsenal would be foolish to overlook Alonso if they are searching for a new manager.

READ MORE: Top 10 available managers: De Zerbi joins Alonso, Maresca, Xavi in strong list

Julian Nagelsmann

Germany boss Nagelsmann is currently preparing for the World Cup but, as so many international managers are, is being linked with a host of top clubs.

Nagelsmann is maturing as a manager after a controversial Bayern Munich exit in 2023, and his step back into club management at Arsenal could be just what everyone needs.

Cesc Fabregas

Would Arsenal fans welcome Fabregas back as manager? Would Arsenal fans view Fabregas as an upgrade on Arteta?

There is a bit of Arteta about Fabregas, isn’t there? A Spanish midfielder who captained Arsenal in their pomp is the obvious standout comparison. But as managers, they seem like genuine freaks – good freaks. The attention-to-detail freaks. Sometimes they creep out their players with their intensity. But, yeah, in a good way.

He might be a sideways step in terms of managerial ability, however you gauge that. Saying that, he would bring fresh ideas, a more attacking philosophy, and someone the players might respect even more given how successful and brilliant he was as a player.

Pep Guardiola

If Guardiola leaves Man City, it’s probably because he is tired and needs a bit of a rest. He is highly unlikely to move straight from one intense job to another.

Stepping from City to Arsenal would be a contentious move as well. The two clubs hardly despise each other, but they are direct rivals, and it would certainly ruffle some feathers at the Etihad.

That said, City have an ageing squad and Arsenal have one with several players entering their prime years. Pep could repeat his City dynasty in the capital. Will he? No, of course not. But it’s nice to dream.

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