HomeSportsZidane to be offered Saudi deal as Arsenal put on hold Arteta's...

Zidane to be offered Saudi deal as Arsenal put on hold Arteta’s new deal

Saudi Arabian outfit Al Nassr are looking to add Zinedine ZIdane to their setup as the long-term replacement for former manager Rudi Garcia.

An offer of 120m euros could be enough to convince the Frenchman that he should move to the Middle East and quit life in Europe, with Spanish newspaper Marca not entirely convinced.

“It is difficult to verify the information coming out of Saudi Arabia, especially when it comes to financial offers. The latest one that is going around the country is the proposal that Al Nassr, Cristiano Ronaldo’s team, have made to Zinedine Zidane in a bid to hire him as coach.

READ ALSO: Lampard returns to Chelsea as caretaker manager

“The Saudi media are talking about 120m euros for two seasons, or 60m per year.

“So far, the French coach’s entourage has not responded to this offer that would cause a storm.

“The question is whether Zidane would agree to move to such a low level of football, considering that he will always have offers from Europe, and that he loves living in Madrid.

READ ALSO: Chelsea interview little-known Sporting Lisbon boss Ruben Amorim

“After the sacking of Rudi Garcia, Al Nassr appointed Dinko Jelicic as interim coach, but the Saudi Arabian club’s intention is to reunite Ronaldo and Zidane.”

Arsenal put on hold Arteta’s new deal

Arsenal have reportedly put contract talks with manager Mikel Arteta on hold.

According to The Sun, the Gunners are eager to avoid any distractions in the title race.

Paris Saint-Germain, one of Arteta’s former clubs, are said to be monitoring the Spaniard. There remains uncertainty over the future of current PSG boss Galtier, while president Nasser Al-Khelaifi has been impressed by Arteta’s work at Arsenal.

READ ALSO: Mikel Arteta believes his team is not under pressure after 2-2 draw with West Ham
Barcelona, who Arteta played for at youth level, and Manchester City, with whom he started his coaching career, also have a long term interest in the 41-year-old.

Arteta’s current contract, which he signed towards the end of last season, is set to run until June 2025 and is worth £8.3million a year.

Arteta has earned huge praise for the work that he has done at Arsenal, with his team currently three points clear of Manchester City at the top of the Premier League.

READ ALSO: Liverpool throws title open with draw against Arsenal

In his first season in charge Arteta guided Arsenal to FA Cup glory, although there have been some difficult moments along the way, including missing out on Champions League qualification last season.

The way in which Arteta has got Arsenal to play with such flair and dynamism will surely be of interest to many other clubs, but the Gunners are determined to keep him at Emirates Stadium.

For now, however, Arsenal’s main focus is on the Premier League title race as they look to be crowned champions for the first time in 19 years.

After Manchester City’s 3-1 win over Leicester, Arsenal are fully aware that they can’t afford to drop many more points this season.

The clash away to City on April 26 has long been billed as a potential title decider, with Pep Guardiola describing the game as “a final”.

City manager Guardiola said: ‘It is a final to play more finals because if you lose this game, it will be almost over. Hopefully we can arrive having the chance to be there.

‘It is win, win and win. They have done an incredible run and I don’t think they are going to drop many points so it is important to be in there.’

Alfred Saiki
Alfred Saiki
A passionate sports journalist and administrator. I want to see the world.