Mikel Arteta is one of Barcelona’s targets to replace Xavi as the club’s next manager (Picture: Getty)

Barcelona are ready to admit defeat in their attempts to convince Mikel Arteta to leave Arsenal.

The Catalan giants were rocked last month when current manager and club legend Xavi confirmed his intention to stand down at the end of the season.

Barcelona have subsequently been linked with a string of high-profile candidates to replace the 44-year-old who mastermind last season’s title-winning campaign.

The likes of Thomas Tuchel, who is set to leave Bayern Munich in June, and Julian Nagelsmann are the current frontrunners and their chances of securing the job have been enhanced by Barcelona’s decision to abandon their interest in Arteta.
A product of Barcelona’s La Masia academy, Arteta still has strong connection to his boyhood club but is understood to remain fully committed to Arsenal.

The 41-year-old still has 18 months left on his current contract and appears in no hurry to leave having built a young squad that is again mounting a sustained challenge for the Premier League title.

Speaking about speculation linking him with a return to Barcelona recently, he said: ‘That’s totally fake news,’

‘What you read yesterday is ? I don’t know where it is coming from, and it is totally untrue. I am really upset about it.

Mikel Arteta has been linked with a return to Barcelona to replace Xavi (Picture: Gett...