MIKEL ARTETA’S wife Lorena stole the show at the Globe Soccer Awards as the Arsenal boss won “Best Premier League Coach”.
The event in Sardinia saw the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Harry Kane and Xabi Alonso celebrated.
Alonso won Best Coach of the Year for leading Bayer Leverkusen to an undefeated domestic double in Germany.
But Arteta was crowned best Premier League boss despite Pep Guardiola’s City pipping Arsenal to the title.
The Spaniard was joined in Italy by wife Lorena, who beamed in a blue dress as her husband collected his award.
Arteta met his wife – who won Miss Spain at the age of 17 – in 2002 before dating a few months later.
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Lorena – who did not know Arteta was a footballer when they got together – has forged an acting and presenting career.
She got married to Arteta in 2010 and share three sons Daniel, Gabriel and Oliver.
Arteta this season guided the Gunners to a second consecutive second-placed Prem finish.
And after old mentor Guardiola again got his hands on the title, the Emirates boss issued a rallying call to his club.
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Mikel Arteta’s striker shopping list
By Jordan Davies
ARSENAL are stepping up plans to sign a world-class striker in the summer after their Champions League heartbreak.
Mikel Arteta splashed out £204.5m last summer on Declan Rice, Kai Havertz and Jurrien Timber.
But the Spanish manager accepts he needs a proven goalscorer to take the club to the next level.
And here are the players he is looking at to get the Gunners firing:
BENJAMIN SESKO (RB Leipzig, value £40m-£45m)
One for the future at 20 years old. Scored 16 goals for RB Salzburg in the Austrian Bundesliga last season and the Slovenian has carried on that good form in Germany with Leipzig this campaign.
VIKTOR GYOKERES (Sporting Lisbon, value £60m-£80m)
Been scouted several times this season. The Swedish striker, 25, is more of a traditional No 9 so may not suit Arsenal’s demand for flexibility but would bring a physicality that boss Mikel Arteta craves.
ALEXANDER ISAK (Newcastle, value £75m-£85m)
Impressed in his first two seasons in English football. The Swede, 24, has the pace and finesse to match his finishing ability, and Eddie Howe’s Toon may need to sell to balance the books this summer.
JOSHUA ZIRKZEE (Bologna, value £45m-£50m)
Dutch wonder is attracting the attentions of clubs across Europe. At 6ft 4in the 22-year-old forward would have no trouble adapting to the Premier League and already has an eye for goal.
XAVI SIMONS (RB Leipzig, value £70m-£80m)
An incredible talent in the Bukayo Saka mould, currently on loan from Paris Saint-Germain. The future of the Dutch attacker, 20, depends on how much money his parent club want to make from him.
Asked abut what is next for Arsenal, Arteta responded: “Win. Win, win and win. That’s what we want.
“We’ve been through a few years right now, we have a team that is full of enthusiasm and so hungry to win trophies.
“We know the competition, but we believe we can do it. So we are going to give it a real go.”
Guardiola’s City did win the award for Best Men’s Club of the Year with Barcelona winning the women’s version.
Mbappe walked away with Best European Player as he prepares to leave PSG as a free agent this summer.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
