Mikel Arteta encourages Arsenal legends without poison to get on board

Mikel Arteta insists that Arsenal legends are always welcome at the club, as long as they don’t spread “poison”.

The Spaniard’s forceful message comes after he put pen to paper on a new three-year deal at the Emirates last week.

And while he didn’t name names, it was almost certainly aimed at former Gunners hitmen Thierry Henry and Dennis Bergkamp.

The pair openly criticized Arsenal’s board and manager earlier this season and also publicly supported a rejected £2bn takeover offer from Spotify supremo Daniel Ek.

But any anger with Arteta appears to have faded after the two attended last month’s home win over Manchester United and spent time after the match with England ace Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe.

Ahead of relegation-battling Leeds’ visit, the Emirates boss was asked if his contract extension until June 2025 proves that outside snipers, who he felt were deliberately undermining his reign, have been silenced.

Arteta, in command since December 2019, stated: “There are many, many more positives than negatives.

“I always said that we have a great example with our former players. And what happened a few weeks ago at the Emirates was emotional, natural and organic.

“Now, hopefully, they’ve realized that anyone who wants to contribute to what we’re doing, to contribute in a genuine way, with advice or support, is more than welcome.

“And anyone who wants to poison the club… is going to be a long way from the club.”

Using the wisdom and knowledge of those who were such an important part of Arsenal’s glorious and brilliant past makes a lot of sense, according to Arteta.

Indeed, he reckons the club’s rich history may give his burgeoning young side, who started the weekend two points clear of Tottenham in the race for fourth place, a significant lead going forward.

“With the history we have, if we don’t use it, we are losing a huge percentage and margin relative to other teams,” explained the 40-year-old former Everton, Rangers and Arsenal midfielder.

“We have that because there has been a lot of success and a lot of amazing people and players in the history of this club.

“We have to encourage him to return to the club to make us stronger. That’s my goal.

There’s no doubt that with Thursday’s crucial derby at Spurs in the offing, Saka and company could get some decent advice from Henry and Bergkamp on how to succeed in N17.

They were key components of Arsene Wenger’s Invincibles that clinched the 2004 league title at White Hart Lane, as did Arsenal’s first double-winning team in 1971.

So what are the chances of the class of 2022 writing their own history and securing Champions League qualification, for the first time in five years, at the expense of their fiercest rivals?

Optimistic Arteta said: “It’s phenomenal, all those experiences, how they won it. How invincible they were. For this generation, it would be an amazing thing and hopefully we can do it naturally and with everyone feeling in the right place.”

Ahead of that decisive showdown in north London, Arsenal must take care of Leeds’ difficulties today.

And Arteta admitted: “It will be very hard. The players know what to expect on Sunday.”