Petit: Arteta destined for Barcelona, with Fabregas waiting in wings at Arsenal

Emmanuel Petit has tipped Mikel Arteta for a future switch to Barcelona, even as Arsenal's title bid continues to hang by a thread following their midweek stalemate.

The Gunners came away from Wednesday's clash with Wolves with a 2-2 draw, a result that extended their Premier League advantage to five points. Yet that cushion looks decidedly fragile—Manchester City's game in hand on Saturday could trim the gap to just two points, and with a fixture at the Etihad to come in April, Pep Guardiola's men retain the whip hand in this year's title race.

Speculation has mounted that Arsenal's hierarchy may consider managerial changes should they fail to land the Premier League crown this season, particularly given they've finished runners-up in each of the previous three campaigns.

Petit, however, reckons Arteta's eventual exit from North London points elsewhere entirely. Speaking to BetBrothers, the former Arsenal midfielder outlined his theory that the Spanish boss boasts sufficiently deep roots at Barcelona to make a future move there plausible.

"Mikel Arteta will one day manage Barcelona, I think eventually we'll see that," Petit declared. "The connections are strong. But I think it depends on how he wants to deal with his managerial career, in terms of having his mind set to be there forever, like a one-club man sort of thing. Does he really want to experience football in different countries? To be honest, if he is to leave Arsenal, I see him more likely to go abroad than to another Premier League club. So, obviously, I'd say Barca would be his favourite next move if he were to leave Arsenal."

When pressed on whether Arteta's immediate future lies at the Emirates, Petit struck a philosophical note. "To be honest, I don't know what's best. If he wins, he will leave. If he doesn't win, he will leave. I don't know. If he wins, he might continue to increase the number of trophies. We would have to be in Arteta's head to think what he wants to do in the future. But for me, I see him more on the long term, as long as possible to stay at Arsenal, rather than moving somewhere else, than leaving any time soon."

Should Arteta depart for the Camp Nou, Petit has identified a successor: Cesc Fabregas, the former Arsenal midfielder now steering Serie A outfit Como. The pundit believes Fabregas's current position represents an ideal stepping stone, with the Italian club providing him the autonomy and resources to develop as a manager.

"I think Cesc Fabregas will take his time because he has everything he needs at Como," Petit explained. "He wants players, they bring him players. Whatever he wants, they bring it to him. And that's allowing him to have that kind of power in the decision-making."

Petit highlighted Fabregas's recent handling of Álvaro Morata as evidence of growing managerial maturity. After Morata received a red card for reacting to provocation, Fabregas publicly criticised his player—a departure from previous behaviour that suggests a manager establishing his authority.

"I think it's the first time he goes public about a player instead of, you know, going public as he probably did in the past. So for me, that's showing personality, showing, 'I'm the boss,' and that obviously is a sign of 'I'm going to be here for a while,'" Petit said.

The former Arsenal midfielder believes Fabregas's trajectory at Como has caught the attention of elite European clubs. "His former clubs will let managers go and obviously Chelsea, Arsenal, I mean really any club at the top, will be looking at him as an option because he's doing an incredible job at Como."