The Independent · October 20, 2026

The extraordinary Newcastle offer that almost stopped Mikel Arteta joining Arsenal

Newcastle United made an extraordinary offer to Mikel Arteta before he joined Arsenal as manager in 2019, but the Spaniard chose to accept the Arsenal position instead. The proposal reportedly included significant financial incentives, but Arteta's decision to manage Arsenal proved to be the right one, as he has since led the club to sustained success.