Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has already made his position clear on the Real Madrid job as current boss Xabi Alonso faces growing pressure at the Bernabeu amid reported dressing room discontent.
Alonso's rocky start at Real Madrid
Xabi Alonso returned to Real Madrid in June after nearly three successful years at Bayer Leverkusen, where he secured the Bundesliga title, DFB Pokal and German Super Cup. However, his homecoming has encountered turbulence despite promising results on paper.
Real Madrid currently lead La Liga and are well-positioned in the Champions League with 14 victories from their opening 18 matches this season. Nevertheless, significant concerns have emerged behind the scenes regarding Alonso's management style.
Spanish publication Mundo Deportivo has reported that several key players including Vinicius Jr, Fede Valverde, Brahim Diaz, Rodrygo, Endrick, and Ferland Mendy remain unconvinced by Alonso's methods, raising questions about his long-term future at the club.
Arteta's previous Real Madrid response
With uncertainty surrounding the Real Madrid dugout, attention has naturally turned to potential successors, with Arsenal's Mikel Arteta emerging as a likely candidate given his impressive work in North London.
However, the Spaniard has historical ties to Barcelona, having developed through their youth academy, which complicates any potential move to their arch-rivals. Arteta previously addressed speculation linking him with the Madrid position two years ago in unequivocal terms.
"Managers and players can't control what is written by the press," Arteta stated at the time. "What I can tell is that I'm fully focused on what I'm doing here and extremely proud and grateful to do what I'm doing in this football club. That's it."
The Arsenal boss has remained true to these words, consistently committing to the project he began in 2019 despite interest from other major clubs.
Arsenal's current success story
Arteta's dedication appears well-placed as Arsenal currently sit top of the Premier League after 12 matches, having established a six-point advantage over their nearest rivals.
The Gunners are pursuing their first top-flight title in over two decades, last triumphing under Arsène Wenger during the legendary 2003/04 Invincibles campaign. This weekend presents a crucial test as Arteta's side travel to Stamford Bridge to face second-place Chelsea.
"You just have to watch the game that they played against Barcelona yesterday to understand how difficult and tough and what a good team Chelsea are," Arteta told press after Arsenal's Champions League victory over Bayern Munich. "So we know tomorrow, we start to prepare and we go from there."
Beyond their Premier League ambitions, Arsenal remain competitive across multiple fronts. They are well-positioned to secure a top-eight finish in the Champions League after reaching last season's semi-finals, have a Carabao Cup quarter-final approaching next month, and await the commencement of the FA Cup.
Arteta's complete focus remains fixed on Arsenal's multi-competition challenge, regardless of developments at other European giants.
