Arteta could have been a Geordie

Oct 7 2007 by Neil Farrington, Sunday Sun

MIKEL ARTETA could have been playing in a black and white shirt today rather than plotting Newcastle’s demise.

For the playmaker now regarded as one of the Premier League’s brightest foreign stars has told the Sunday Sun how he almost joined United as a 20-year-old . . .

Only for Sir Bobby Robson to sign Hugo Viana instead.

Arteta was on loan at Paris St Germain from Barcelona in 2002 when the Catalan giants made it known they were willing to let him go permanently.

And the boy from the Basque country briefly contemplated a move to Tyneside as Robson toyed with a bid for him.

In the event, Rangers came in with a £5.8 million offer for Arteta – who then joined Everton in 2005 – and Robson signed Viana, for an extra £2.7 million, instead.

Enough said.

“Newcastle were one of the clubs that asked very seriously about me in my time in Paris but finally Glasgow Rangers won the race,” revealed Arteta.

“I was interested in Newcastle. They are an historic club in England and their objective is always to be high up in the table.

“The atmosphere in their stadium is amazing and puts a lot of pressure on visiting teams. In that way, Newcastle is a very special place – it’s never easy to win there.”

But Arteta has an extra motivation to do just that today – on behalf of a close friend.

“My friend Albert Luque is no longer at Newcastle, and that’s a shame because I am totally convinced that he had the ability to succeed in the Premier League,” added Arteta.

Not that Everton are not ambitious enough as they arrive at St James’s Park.

“Our aim is a victory,” said Arteta. “A draw is not that much good to us because our mission is to get into a Champions League position.

“To do that, we need to win games.”