Football NewsAntonio Conte linked as Mikel Arteta’s successor at Arsenal
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The former Chelsea boss has been linked with a return to the Premier League as manager of Arsenal with Mikel Arteta having just five games to save his job at the Emirates

Mikel Arteta has endured a difficult start to the new Premier League season, suffering back-to-back losses to newly promoted Brentford and London rivals Chelsea.

It is also the first time that Arsenal are not involved in Europe since 1996 after finishing in a lowly eighth place last campaign.

And now, the Gunners board are unwilling to endure another season of patience and have given Arteta until the October international break to turn things around. In short, the Spaniard has five games to prove himself or face the sack with Antonio Conte being linked as the favourites to replace him as manager of Arsenal.

However, the first-choice replacement Antonio Conte has distanced himself from the job according to reports that read, “those close to Antonio Conte insist he has little interest in taking over”.

“He just doesn’t think he could compete with the team as it is.”

The above statements are devastating blows for Arsenal. Reason being, the 52-year-old is a serial winner having championed Juventus, Chelsea and Inter Milan to league titles during his managerial career.

Though his reluctance to take over is not surprising as the Italian rejected north London rivals Tottenham in similar circumstances over the summer.

Spurs failed to give Conte assurances that he would be given the necessary financial backing to turn them into title contenders.

Having won the Nerrazurri’s first Scudetto since 2010, the Serie A winners could not afford to build on Conte’s title-winning team due to financial difficulties and both parties agreed to mutually terminate his contract. Conte has been jobless since then.