Arsenal will reportedly sack Mikel Arteta at the end of the season if he fails to win a major trophy, with the Kroenkes already lining up an ideal replacement, according to reports. The warning comes as pressure intensifies following a run of poor results and a third straight year of near-misses in the Premier League.
A 2-1 defeat to Bournemouth on Saturday has ramped up the scrutiny on Arteta, who has not lifted a trophy since the FA Cup final win over Chelsea in 2020. The Gunners have finished second in the Premier League in each of the last three seasons and led the table for much of the current campaign, but recent stumbles have reignited the “bottlejob” narrative.
Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo insists Arteta’s “credit is running out” and that although talks are ongoing over a new contract with his current deal expiring in the summer of 2027, a “radical turn” will be made if the Gunners fail to win either the Premier League or Champions League this term. “In that case, Arteta would not continue at Arsenal next season,” the report states.
Furthermore, Arsenal chairmen Stan and Josh Kroenke have “already” lined up the “ideal candidate to replace him” in Cesc Fabregas, who is leading Como in an unlikely push for Champions League qualification in Serie A.
Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney has also weighed in, saying Arteta can have “no excuse” if Arsenal do not win the league this season given the investment in the squad. “There’s no excuse. I think with the players they’ve brought in, there’s no excuse. If they don’t win it now, you will probably see a change of manager,” Rooney said on the Wayne Rooney show. He added that Arsenal’s experience of three successive runners-up finishes means “they’re ready to do it”.
Not everyone agrees the Spaniard’s job is on the line. Former Arsenal forward Jeremie Aliadiere told Gambling.com that Arteta remains the right man long-term regardless of this season’s outcome. “Should Arsenal somehow not achieve the title, I still believe Mikel Arteta is the right man for the job long term and is producing a brilliant culture at the club,” Aliadiere said. He pointed to Arsenal still being in all four competitions and the squad depth proving key this season.
Joleon Lescott also dismissed sack talk, telling reporters: “He’s not going to be sacked, is he? He is not going to be sacked. If they only win the FA Cup or League Cup, they’re not sacking Mikel Arteta.”
Expert Charles Watts told Sports Mole that Arteta’s position is secure internally even in a worst-case scenario. “I don’t think his internally his job would be under any pressure yet,” Watts said, adding that missing Champions League qualification would make it “fair to discuss it” but he would be “stunned if anything happened”.
Former Premier League striker Stan Collymore warned that another trophyless season could see Arteta dismissed. “Does Arteta need to get his hand on silverware this season? Without a doubt,” Collymore told 10Bet Casino. “The pressure is on Mikel Arteta and Arsenal to win something. When I say win something, he’d be able to limp on if he won one or both League Cup and FA Cups, that would be taken as some kind of proof of a change. But really, he’s got to get his hands on the Premier League or the Champions League this season.”
Arteta signed a new contract in mid-September 2024 and has delivered three consecutive second-place finishes, re-establishing Arsenal among the domestic heavyweights after years of decline. The club backed him with more than £250million in summer spending on players including Martin Zubimendi, Eberechi Eze and Viktor Gyokeres.
Ben Jacobs, GIVEMESPORT senior correspondent, reported that Arteta has not been warned by the hierarchy that he needs a major trophy to stay. Still, the Gunners’ recent form — three losses in their last four games across all competitions — has increased external noise. Arsenal remain in the Premier League title race, the FA Cup, the Carabao Cup final, and the knockout stages of the Champions League after a faultless group stage.
Arteta’s team are seven points clear of reigning champions Liverpool and six points clear of Manchester City after nine games, per reports from October 2025. Gary Neville said on the Gary Neville Podcast: “This has got to be them, hasn’t it? This has got to be their year.”
For now, the board’s public stance is backing, but reports of succession planning and pundit warnings have set a clear condition: deliver the Premier League or Champions League, or face an uncertain summer.
