Manchester City assistant coach Mikel Arteta is closing in on the Arsenal managerial position with senior sources at the Manchester club expecting him to depart the Etihad Stadium soon. According to recent reports, the Spanish manager is currently leading the race to be the next Arsenal boss following Arsene Wenger’s public endorsement for him to succeed at the Emirates Stadium.
Although, the Frenchman is not directly involved in the recruitment process, yet Wenger’s opinion still carries a lot of weight at the North London club. Some sources are now claiming that Arteta has already held discussions with the Gunners over the vacant managerial position at the Emirates. Recent reports from Manchester has also suggested that the Citizens are resigned to fact that Arteta will leave his role as their assistant manager in favour of a move to North London this summer.
The Spaniard has neither agreed on terms with the Gunners nor handed his formal notice to resign as City’s assistant coach so far. However, his situation could change soon with the Arsenal hierarchy looking to appoint a new manager as early as possible so that they have the best chance to recruit some quality players in this transfer window.
The Gunners of London ended their season with a victory in their last league encounter. However, it has been a disappointing campaign for them as they bid farewell to their legendary manager Arsene Wenger, who parted ways after 22 years at the club. It might be the dawn of a new era at the North London club which makes this next managerial appointment a crucial one.
Arsenal needs to hire an ideal candidate who can rebuild their squad and take them back to the pinnacle of English football. Recruiting Arteta could turn out to be a shrewd move for the North London outfit but his lack of experience as a head coach would be a cause for concern. The Spaniard is yet to manage a professional team in his career which makes it a huge gamble for Arsenal to opt for his services.
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However, the 36-year-old knows the Gunners well from his time at the Emirates Stadium as a player. He has also gained some invaluable coaching experience from working as an understudy to Pep Guardiola at Manchester City over the past couple of seasons. It remains to be seen what lies ahead in the future of Arteta and whether he ends up making a switch back to North London but this time, as a manager of Arsenal FC.
