Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Pep Guardiola has praised Mikel Arteta, stating that he would make for a brilliant manager of Manchester City.
Arteta was, of course, Guardiola’s assistant at City in the past, but he left the Etihad to take on the role of manager at Arsenal.
In his time at Arsenal, Arteta has completely turned the club around and has now led them to the top of the league.
City and Arsenal are currently embroiled in a title race, with Arsenal leading Man City by a slim margin. Despite the rivalry between the two teams, Guardiola has nothing but praise for Arteta and his ability.
Arteta would have been great at City
Guardiola spoke about the idea of Arteta succeeding him at City if he’d left earlier.
“I’m pretty sure, I’m pretty sure that if I would have left before and he would have been here he would be the best. Absolutely, but I extended my contract, I’m sorry, and he left, so it could not happen, but definitely,” Guardiola said.
We may never know
Guardiola thinks Arteta would be great for Man City, but we may never know how he’d get on.
Indeed, while Arteta has been linked to this job recently, Guardiola also stated in this press conference that he always noted how much the Spaniard loves Arsenal, and it’s likely that he’ll stay loyal to the Gunners for a long time.
This is high praise for Arteta, who has done a great job in his first full-time role as a manager. He has transformed the team and has them playing some of the best football in the whole of Europe. With Guardiola’s endorsement, it’s clear that Arteta has what it takes to cement himself as one of the top managers in the world.
While it’s unclear if Arteta will ever take over at Man City, it’s clear that Guardiola believes that he would be a great fit for the club, and an approach may be likely once Pep decides to call time on his career at the Etihad.
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