Mikel Arteta came close to joining Newcastle before taking the Arsenal job
In the summer of 2019, Mikel Arteta was on the verge of accepting an offer from Newcastle United, just months before he became Arsenal manager. Mike Ashley pushed hard to appoint the Spaniard and was ready to hand him an unusually long contract. Arteta turned it down and replaced Unai Emery at the Emirates in December.
ByJavi
4 min read
Mikel Arteta came remarkably close to becoming Newcastle United manager in the summer of 2019, only a few months before he took charge of Arsenal. Newcastle's then-owner Mike Ashley made a determined push to bring in the Spaniard, who was working as Pep Guardiola's assistant at Manchester City at the time, according to a new book charting Arteta's spell as Gunners boss.
The ambitious Newcastle offer under Mike Ashley
Newcastle, still under Ashley's ownership, went all out to win Arteta over. The British businessman made it clear he was desperate to appoint the young Spanish coach and was prepared to hand him a contract of unusual length for a first-time Premier League manager.
Arteta gave the offer serious thought. Newcastle had just finished 13th in the Premier League, eleven points clear of the drop zone, and on paper the job looked like an appealing starting point for a coach of his age and experience. In the end, however, he walked away and just months later, in December 2019, he was presented as Unai Emery's replacement at Arsenal.
Why Arteta turned down St James' Park
Several factors worked against the Newcastle project in Arteta's eyes. The first was the difficult situation around the club: Rafael Benítez, hugely popular with supporters, was leaving the dugout, and fan anger at Mike Ashley ran deep. That kind of unrest was far from the ideal backdrop for a coach looking for stability in his first major role.
The sporting picture was not much better. Ayoze Pérez and Salomón Rondón both left St James' Park that summer, taking 23 of the 42 league goals the team had scored the previous season with them. On top of that, Arteta had still not assembled his preferred coaching staff, and the timing was not right for many of the people he wanted to bring with him.
From the Emirates to the Premier League title and a Champions League final
Waiting paid off almost immediately in London. Arteta won the FA Cup in 2020, less than eight months after arriving at Arsenal, the first trophy of a spell that has grown steadily season after season. After a few years without silverware, the Basque coach's project reached its peak last term with the Premier League title and a place in the Champions League final.
What happened at Newcastle after Arteta said no
With Arteta out of reach, Ashley appointed Steve Bruce as Newcastle manager. Bruce stayed in the job until the club was sold in October 2021 to a consortium led by Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund. The new owners sacked Bruce shortly afterwards and brought in Eddie Howe.
Under Howe, the Magpies returned to the Champions League in 2023 for the first time in 20 years and won the 2025 Carabao Cup, their first major domestic trophy since 1955. The English coach stepped down last summer and was replaced by Matthias Jaissle.
Frequently asked questions
Which club tried to sign Mikel Arteta before he joined Arsenal?
Newcastle United tried to appoint Mikel Arteta in the summer of 2019, while he was Pep Guardiola's assistant at Manchester City. Then-owner Mike Ashley offered him an extraordinarily long contract for a coach with no previous experience as a Premier League manager.
Why did Mikel Arteta turn down the Newcastle job?
Arteta rejected Newcastle for several reasons: supporter unrest aimed at Mike Ashley, the popularity of departing manager Rafael Benítez, the exits of Ayoze Pérez and Salomón Rondón after they scored more than half the team's league goals, and the fact his preferred coaching staff was not yet in place.
When did Mikel Arteta's Arsenal win the Premier League?
Arsenal won the Premier League in the most recent completed season before the book's publication, capping a long building process that began with the 2020 FA Cup. That same campaign, the London club also reached the Champions League final.