PSG considered giving manager's job to Mikel Arteta as L'Equipe publishes shock revelation before Arsenal's do-or-die Champions League meeting with Ligue 1 champions

French publication L'Equipehave dropped a bombshell right before Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal's Champions League semi-final second leg clash this week, revealing that the Ligue 1 giants considered appointing Arteta as their head coach in the recent past.

The report from L'Equipe claimed that after the sacking of Christophe Galtier in the summer of 2023, PSG curated a shortlist of possible managerial candidates, with Arsenal boss Arteta one of the names on the list. The Spaniard spent the 2001-02 season on loan at PSG in the initial days of his playing career. However, Les Parisiens eventually ended up acquiring Luis Enrique's services, who is on course to guide PSG to a terrific quadruple, should they win the Champions League and Coupe de France titles.

Although Arteta was reportedly on a final shortlist and held in high regard by some figures at QSI (PSG's owners) due to his past as a former PSG player, talks over a potential move to Parc des Princes never progressed beyond preliminary discussions. Club sources have since dismissed claims of serious interest, insisting that Luis Enrique was their first-choice candidate from the outset.

The two European heavyweights will meet in the second leg of the Champions League semi-final on Wednesday, May 7, at Parc des Princes, with the hosts carrying a slender 1-0 advantage thanks to Ousmane Dembele's strike at the Emirates in the first leg. While Luis Enrique's troops have already secured the Ligue 1 title, Arsenal will have to wait another year to lay their hands on the English top-flight trophy, which was won by Liverpool this season.