Gooners, put down the pitchforks – Mikel Arteta isn’t going anywhere!

Despite weekend rumblings from Spain linking him to Barcelona, the Arsenal boss has emphatically shut down the speculation, reaffirming his dedication to the Gunners.

Spanish outlet Sport dropped a bombshell on Sunday, claiming Arteta was eyeing an exit from the Emirates at the season’s end, with Barcelona a potential next stop. Xavi‘s impending departure from Camp Nou sparked the flames, with Arteta’s name thrown into the managerial mix.

Arsenal insiders were quick to dispel the rumour, calling it “pro-Barcelona press troublemaking.” Sky Sports and the Evening Standard echoed the sentiment, confirming Arteta has no plans to abandon the North London ship.

Arteta himself went on the record at his pre-Nottingham Forest press conference, branding the reports “totally fake news” and expressing his anger.

“No, that’s totally fake news what you read yesterday,” Arteta said. “I don’t know where it’s coming from and it’s totally untrue. I’m really upset about it.

“I could not believe [it] I don’t know where it’s coming from and it’s got no source, it’s got nothing. I think we have to be very cautious when you talk about personal things to put it in the way it was put yesterday.

“That’s something that we cannot control [the rumours linking him with Barcelona], this is part of football. But that’s something very different to someone putting a statement about something that I’m doing [leaving Arsenal at the end of the season], that’s very very different. Otherwise, it’s just part of football and this industry.”

For Arteta, Arsenal remains the perfect fit. The project he’s built, along with the strong team around him, were key factors in his recent contract renewal, and he’s not looking back.

“I’m in the right place, I’m with the right people, I feel really good about it,” he said. “As I said many times, we are in a beautiful journey with this football club, with these players, the staff these people and there’s still a lot a lot to learn.”

For more on how the rumours came to be, read this.