Mikel Arteta's dream job?! Ex-Everton striker who played alongside Arsenal boss reveals managerial move he may have his eye on - and it's NOT Real Madrid

Former Manchester United striker Saha predicted which club could entice Mikel Arteta if he decides to leave Arsenal. The former French footballer, who was teammates with Arteta when the duo were a part of Everton in the 2000s, clarified that he won't join Real Madrid and name-dropped a surprising team instead.

Mega Dice asked Saha during an interview, "Did Arsenal’s win over Real Madrid put Mikel Arteta in pole position for the Real Madrid job?"

Saha replied: "I think it was the president of Bayer Leverkusen who said that he was happy for Arsenal to have won, but he would have preferred to see Real Madrid win so they could keep Xabi Alonso. There is competition there if the Real Madrid job is free. There are a lot of managers who would like to be there. I'm sure that Mikel Arteta is maybe looking at Barcelona more than Real Madrid.

"But yes, Mikel has done really well with Arsenal. I'm sure that he wants to win a trophy before going anywhere. He will probably look at this trajectory, but the Real Madrid job is not something that you refuse as a manager. But I think it’s a bit early for him. He has a lot to achieve in his career, and he's still a young manager.

"Winning a major trophy with Arsenal would be amazing, and it would be the minimum I think he will want. Because, from what I know and remember, Mikel is a very loyal guy, and I'm sure that he sees his position as a very important job. He wants to win with the Gunners.

"He will want to create a foundation. I think after two or three years, you can see that he has done a terrific job there. He needs to win before he’ll think about leaving."

Arteta took over the reins at the Emirates Stadium in December 2019 and has since turned a struggling Arsenal side into Premier League contenders and Champions League dark horses. After achieving a second-placed finish in the 2022-23 season, the Gunners reached the quarter-finals of Europe's premier club competition last season. While they are yet to clinch a top-flight title, they improved on last year's record by reaching the semi-finals of the Champions League, where they are set to face Luis Enrique's PSG. In all, Arsenal have won three trophies under Arteta - one FA Cup and two Community Shields.

Liverpool are all but confirmed to be crowned as the Premier League champions, which means that the best Arsenal could achieve is a second-placed finish. Before they meet PSG in the first leg in London, they will take on Crystal Palace on Wednesday, April 23.