Carlos Cuesta insists ‘best is yet to come’ under Mikel Arteta as he confirms emotional Arsenal exit | OneFootball

Carlos Cuesta has backed Mikel Arteta to deliver a “very exciting” future at Arsenal after his departure as the Spaniard’s assistant was confirmed.

Cuesta, 29, is regarded as one of the highest-rated young coaches in the game and has now made the step up to senior management, taking the role at Parma to become the second-youngest head coach in Serie A history.

His exit acts as a major blow for Arteta’s setup, but Cuesta has insisted that his exit is not reflective of Arsenal’s trajectory - believing the “best is yet to come” under the Gunners boss.

“Because of the quality of its people, I’m convinced that the best moments for this football club are still yet to come,” he said in an emotional farewell on Instagram. “Enjoy the journey, because it is a very exciting one.”

Cuesta joined Arsenal in 2020 after spells in the academy setups of both Juventus and Atletico Madrid.

He has spent five years at the Emirates, helping transform the Gunners from stagnation to a genuine title contender.

“After five beautiful years it’s hard to put this into words, but I can only express how grateful I am for having lived my day-to-day with such special people and feel what it means to represent this football club, with its incredible history and values,” he added in his goodbye.

“The only thing I’ve ever tried to do was give everything I had inside of me every single day. I was inspired by the culture that was created, by the hunger of every person of the organisation and by the unity that we had in any situation that we had to face.

“It has been a privilege to have had the chance to work with the players, staff, directors and all the employees of the club and at the same time, to receive an extra push from our amazing fans in every match.”