Mikel Arteta has been tipped to leave Pep Guardiola’s side and take over at Premier League rivals Arsenal.
Manchester City’s decision makers have doubts about whether Mikel Arteta would be the right man to step into the giant shoes of Pep Guardiola when the Catalan coach rides off into the sunset, according to BleacherReport.
After two unprecedented seasons of success at the Etihad Stadium, doubts have started to swirl about the future of a former Bayern Munich and Barcelona coach.
Guardiola’s contract expires in 2021, but with City falling 14 points behind Liverpool and performing well below the exceptional standards of recent years, some have suggested that an exit could be on the cards as early as next summer instead.
Arteta has worked alongside Guardiola since 2016 and is generally accepted as one of the most intelligent and forward-thinking young coaches in the game.
Guardiola himself raved about the former Arsenal and Rangers midfielder in November, telling Sky Sports that Arteta offers ‘incredible value’ behind the scenes and has everything required to be a top-level manager.
Not everyone at City agrees, it seems.
BleacherReport claims that Arteta’s close relationship with many of the club’s first-team stars mean some see him as an unsuitable candidate to eventually replace Guardiola in the number one role. That, it is claimed, is part of the reason why Arteta is interested in the idea of breaking free and replacing Unai Emery at Arsenal instead.
Arteta may be a highly promising coach but there is no shortage of former assistant coaches who have struggled since being promoted to the top job. Paul Clement anyone?
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