While Newcastle United fans scrambled for trains, tickets and hotels around London for next month’s League Cup final through blissfully blurry vision, wide-eyed Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta was leading his side on to an Emirates flight to Dubai for a much-needed warm weather winter training break.

Arsenal transfer news as Mikel Arteta plays the game perfectly to add two players to his squad in front of everyone

Mikel Arteta expects a decision over Arsenal ’s new sporting director to be reached “relatively quickly”. Edu resigned as Arsenal’s sporting director in November to take up a role working for Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis’ stable of clubs.