Mikel Arteta came close to becoming the manager of Newcastle United in the summer of 2019, just months before he took the helm at Arsenal. According to an excerpt from Sam Dean’s book, Arsenal: The Inside Story of Arsenal’s Rebirth Under Mikel Arteta, Newcastle’s then-owner Mike Ashley aggressively pursued Arteta, who was coaching at Manchester City under Pep Guardiola.

Ashley offered Arteta an “extraordinarily long contract” aimed at securing his services, but despite being tempted, Arteta ultimately declined the opportunity. He later replaced Unai Emery as Arsenal manager in December 2019, marking a pivotal moment in Premier League history.

Key factors influencing Arteta's decision included:

• The popularity of outgoing manager Rafael Benitez and the discontent among fans towards Ashley.
• Departures of key players Ayoze Perez and Salomon Rondon, who had contributed significantly to Newcastle's previous season's goals.
• Lack of a preferred coaching staff at the time.

Arteta went on to achieve success at Arsenal, winning the FA Cup in 2020 and eventually leading the team to the Premier League title last year and a Champions League final appearance.

In contrast, Newcastle appointed Steve Bruce, who managed the club until Ashley sold it in October 2021. Following Bruce's departure, Eddie Howe took over, guiding Newcastle back to the Champions League and securing their first major trophy since 1955 with the 2025 Carabao Cup before stepping down this summer.