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Mikel could become The Deluded One

COMMENT: Mikel Arteta will watch his Arsenal players give Liverpool a guard of honour on Sunday with a strange sense of injustice, writes CHARLIE WYETT.

After being knocked out of the Champions League by Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday to confirm their fifth season in a row without a trophy, the Spaniard has started  talking nonsense as the mounting pressure begins to affect him.

Arteta claims the Gunners have been the best team in Europe this season — and very few observers  agree with him.

He has to accept that his club has gone backwards after two poor transfer windows.

Arsenal will also look to bring in a new left winger, while Real Sociedad’s Martin Zubimendi is certain to arrive and will boost the midfield.

The board will once again spend big, so the expectations of Arteta will be even greater.

He has already spent £700million, so that amount after the summer could hit £850m.

Arteta will not want to be remembered as the man who was given the ammunition to build a great side but moulded one which fired blanks and only won one FA Cup.

Time is no longer on the manager’s side. He  needs to oversee a huge improvement — because if he is not careful, next season could be his last.

MIK FLOP

Arteta in danger of becoming The Deluded One - Arsenal have gone backwards

Schick for Mik?

Gunners' sporting director Andrea Berta is monitoring Patrik Schick, say Caught Offside.

The Bayer Leverkusen hero has reportedly risen up the list of potential strike options for Arsenal this summer.

The Bundesliga club value their Czech star at around £34million.

That's well below the sort of sums that two long-running Gunners targets in Newcastle's Alexander Isak and RB Leipzig ace Benjamin Sesko would fetch.

Wrighty has Ricc's emotions over one signing

Ian Wright says Arsenal didn’t need to sign one of the players they acquired during last summer transfer window.

Wright believes that buying Riccardo Calafiori for £42 million has been a mistake as the left-back has been going through a “nightmare” due to injuries.

He said: “I think [Mikel] Merino has shown his worth. Obviously, [Riccardo] Calafiori has been out for quite a long time since he’s been there and that’s been a bit of a nightmare simply because we got [Takehiro] Tomiyasu from Bologna and he’s had problems with injuries. Calafiori is now having problems with injuries.

“You think to yourself: was that the priority then? That window was the one where we should have been looking hard for the striker.

“Especially with the emergence of Myles Lewis-Skelly in that Calafiori anyway, apart from maybe centre-back. But left-back going into midfield, we know that Calafiori can do that.

“You look at the fact we’ve got Myles who can do that and that’s the window I will look back at.”

Espanyol willing to accept Man Utd offer 'without hesitation'

Previous reports said that Espanyol keeper Joan Garcia has emerged as Onana's possible replacement.

Garcia is said to have a £21million release clause that rises to £25m towards the end of the summer transfer window.

Though that figure is set to increase by £4.25m should he win his first senior cap for Spain.

However, AS reported that the Catalan club is willing to accept Manchester United's offer "without hesitation".

He became Espanyol's main man during the second half of last term, helping them win promotion to the top-flight and taking home their player of the season award.

Garcia has continued to impress this campaign, keeping seven clean sheets in 32 games.

Rogers linked to Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool

Aston Villa midfielder Morgan Rogers is rated a massive target for at least three Prem giants.

Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool are all said to be monitoring the four-cap Englishman, 22.

And it’s claimed any hopes they have of prising Rogers away have been boosted.

That’s because Unai Emery reportedly might need to sell a major asset to help stay within remain within the Prem’s Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR).

Transfer guru says Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool are amongst the clubs who have scouted Rogers for in recent months.

However, Villa would fight to keep one of this season’s most improved top-flight players.

Arsenal could be out of Champions League for a while

Arsenal are out of the Champions League and no longer able to win a trophy from a season that promised so much.

Gunners must find some form or their loss to PSG could end up being their last Champions League match for a while

Although they have had some memorable nights in Europe, Arteta's men could hardly be more out of form in the Premier League.

They have won just three of their last ten matches, allowing Liverpool to stroll to the title.

TABLES HAVE TURNED

How Arsenal could MISS OUT on top-five finish as horror run is laid bare

Ian Wright says Arsenal signing was a mistake

Ian Wright says Arsenal didn't need to sign one of the players they acquired during last summer transfer window.

Wright believes that buying Riccardo Calafiori for £42 million has been a mistake as the left-back has been going through a "nightmare" due to injuries.

He said: “I think [Mikel] Merino has shown his worth. Obviously, [Riccardo] Calafiori has been out for quite a long time since he’s been there and that’s been a bit of a nightmare simply because we got [Takehiro] Tomiyasu from Bologna and he’s had problems with injuries. Calafiori is now having problems with injuries.

“You think to yourself: was that the priority then? That window was the one where we should have been looking hard for the striker.

“Especially with the emergence of Myles Lewis-Skelly in that Calafiori anyway, apart from maybe centre-back. But left-back going into midfield, we know that Calafiori can do that.

“You look at the fact we’ve got Myles who can do that and that’s the window I will look back at."

Heated row

Arsenal legend Ian Wright collided with Manchester United icon Paul Scholes, who insisted Mikel Arteta's men "bottled" the Champions League game with Paris Saint-Germain.

The two Premier League heroes locked horns on the latest edition of The Overlap - brought to you by Sky Bet - before Wednesday's semi-final second leg with PSG at Parc des Princes.

Wright, 61, and Scholes, 50, joined Gary Neville, Roy Keane and Jill Scott to analyse the Gunners' 1-0 loss in the first leg last week at the Emirates.

And the Man Utd legend insisted the North Londoners ruined their chances of winning their first ever European title.

WRIGHT OFF

'I don't like your vibe' - Ian Wright calls out Paul Scholes in row over Arsenal

Sir Alex Ferguson 'conducts hatewatch' in Paris

Sir Alex Ferguson jetted to Paris to watch Arsenal's Champions League dreams fade away.

The legendary Man Utd boss - who had an infamously bitter relationship with Arsene Wenger along the years - was spotted in the Parc des Princes stands for Wednesday night's Champions League semi-final second leg.

PSG cruised past Mikel Arteta's side, winning 2-1 on the night and 3-1 on aggregate, with Fergie's presence much to the delight of fans watching on at home.

One posted: "Sir Alex Ferguson prefers to conduct his hate watches in person."

Another added: "Hatewatch so legendary Sir Alex Ferguson had to fly to Paris himself."

A third, meanwhile, said: "Sir Alex Ferguson was all of us. He went to Paris knowing [Arsenal] will fumble it again"

Declan says Gunners 'need' trophies

Declan Rice says "it's not good enough" that Arsenal keep missing out on trophies

The midfielder blamed "small margins" and PSG keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma's brilliance for last night's 2-1 loss and 3-1 aggregate exit in the Champions league semi-finals.

Rice said: "We really wanted this one, but we will keep pushing.

"We're all desperate for it, that's why we play football. We want to win trophies, but for whatever reason these last two years, it hasn't been meant to be.

"We've come really close, it's not good enough, Arsenal deserve to be winning trophies.

"It hurts, the boys and the manager, it's tough. It's a semi-final, we wanted to be in Munich."

Bryan mighty target

Bryan Mbeumo has been linked with Manchester United, Arsenal and Newcastle.

But it’s claimed the Red Devils are favourites to land Brentford's 25-year-old Cameroonian.

United are also keen on Wolves attacker Matheus Cunha.

And both Mbeumo and Cunha appear certain to move before the start of next season.

Areal are also said to be keen on Cunha.

Enrique disagrees with Arteta

Luis Enrique insists his PSG side deserved to reach the Champions League final - despite opposite verdicts from the Arsenal camp.

Enrique said: "Mikel Arteta is a great friend, but I don't agree at all.

"They played in a clever way and they got the match to the right moment for them because they played in the way they wanted, and the way they love.

"But in the two legs we scored more than them and that is the most important thing in football.

"Arsenal played a great match, and we suffered, but we deserved to get to the final."

Gunners fancy Liam

Arsenal are reportedly ever more keen on Ipswich striker Liam Delap.

A host of Prem giants have been linked with the 22-year-old Englishman, including Chelsea.

But it's claimed tonight the Gunners have been firming up their interest.

It's already been suggested Delap would rather join one of the London giants than Manchester United.

The former Manchester City starlet, who has 12 England Under-21 caps, joined now-relegated Ipswich last summer.

Unlucky defeat is 'kick in teeth' says Rice

Declan Rice was stunned Arsenal crashed out.

He said: "It's gutting. Such a dominant start. If you score one of them chances, the game changes on its head.

"It's the small margins, two mistakes from us and two goals from them.

"It felt like it wasn't meant to be. Over the two legs we could have scored three or four goals, their goalkeeper has been unbelievable.

"In life, you have to lose a few in order to win. You have to overcome some of these setbacks to grow. We're growing as a team, we need to keep pushing.

"PSG have gone through but this isn't going to define us.

"When we get our players back we're going to be a much stronger outfit. We've done the whole season without five or six of our best players."

"Everyone fully believed, you could see that from the first whistle, on another night we maybe score two or three. We had the chances we didn't score and it was a real kick in the teeth."

PSG boss defiant

Luis Enrique praised "great team" Arsenal - but claims PSG could easily have won by more.

The French giants won the Champions League semi-final first leg 1-0 before last night's 2-1 success in Paris for a 3-1 aggregate triumph.

The PSG boss said: "They are a great team, but... we scored more goals.

"We played in a great way in the first leg, and the second half of the second leg was a different match, and we could have scored even more goals."

Mikel 'upset' by exit

Mikel Arteta couldn't contain his frustration at missing out on the Champions League final.

The Arsenal chief said: "I'm upset. We were very close for long periods of both games. We were much better than them.

"But we are not there and that has to hurt and if we want to win this competition and go there we need to realise that and there are certain things that are on us.

"You shouldn't be just understanding that we are out. It's not the way I look at it."

'Keeper made the difference'

Mikel Arteta believes keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma was the main reason PSG KO'd his Gunners.

Quizzed on whether his team are progressing, Arteta replied: "100 per cent, I don't think there has been a better team in the competition so far.

"But we are out tonight and we deserve much more in both games.

"But this competition is about the boxes, the strikers and a goalkeeper, who was their best player in both games."