Paris Saint-Germain football advisor Luis Campos has reportedly contacted Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta to discuss the soon-to-be vacant hotseat at the Parc des Princes.
Despite delivering Ligue 1 and Trophee des Champions glory to PSG in the 2022-23 season, Christophe Galtier is expected to be sacked ahead of the 2023-24 season.
The Frenchman – who left Nice last year to replace Mauricio Pochettino – oversaw a Champions League last-16 exit at the hands of Bayern Munich, and PSG only finished one point better off than Lens at the top of the Ligue 1 table.
Julian Nagelsmann was originally thought to have been the number one contender for the PSG job, but it has since been reported that talks between the two parties have broken down.
Luis Enrique and Bologna head coach Thiago Motta are two alternative options, but according to RMC Sport, Campos has touched base with Arteta to gauge his interest in the role.
Arteta represented PSG as a player during an 18-month loan spell from Barcelona between 2001 and 2002, and Campos apparently values his previous experience in Paris.
However, the Spaniard is contracted to Arsenal until the summer of 2025, and the report claims that PSG’s chances of prising Arteta away from the Emirates are slim to none.
Having been backed by the board with a new deal last season, Arteta is understood to have complete faith in the Gunners’ project ahead of their imminent return to the Champions League.
Furthermore, with Campos only an advisor to PSG, he will not have the final say in any managerial decisions, and it is unclear how the PSG board would feel about Arteta taking charge.
The 41-year-old worked under the wing of Pep Guardiola at Manchester City for three years after retiring as a player in 2016, before jumping ship to take charge of Arsenal after Unai Emery’s exit in 2019.
Arteta has since taken charge of 179 matches for the Gunners, recording 105 wins, 27 draws and 47 defeats, clinching the FA Cup and Community Shield in his debut season.
Following successive eighth-placed finishes in the top flight, Arteta’s future with Arsenal was called into question, but the Gunners hierarchy kept faith in the Spaniard and are now reaping the rewards.
After leading Arsenal back into the Europa League with a fifth-placed finish in 2021-22, Arteta masterminded an unlikely title charge in the 2022-23 season against his former club Man City.
The Gunners led the way at the summit for 248 days, but an end-of-season collapse saw them settle for a second-placed finish, five points behind Guardiola’s side.
Nevertheless, Arsenal will now compete in the Champions League for the first time since the 2016-17 season next term, and they will also go for glory in the Community Shield against Man City on August 6.
