Manchester City will apparently not stand in the way of Pep Guardiola’s assistant Mikel Arteta from joining Arsenal, amid rumours that the north Londoners are considering the future of Unai Emery.
Arsenal have won just six of their last 19 Premier League games, currently sitting eight points outside of the Champions League places and even behind newly-promoted Sheffield United on goal difference.
The club have publicly given Emery their backing, but conversations are still going on behind the scenes and The Sun claims Arsenal will have a free shot at appointing Arteta if they decide to sack Emery in the near future.
Arteta has spent the last three years working as Guardiola’s right-hand man at Manchester City, earning a glowing reputation in the north-west and now on the cusp of his first ever senior managerial role.
The 37-year-old was briefly considered by Arsenal when they searched for
“Everyone knows he wants to be his own man one day, though.
“That’s not how they work, nor Pep. They want to empower people and see them get on.
“It was the same with Patrick Vieira when he was behind the scenes at City before wanting to manage at New York City FC.”
Arteta has a contract at Manchester City until 2021 but it’s widely expected that he’ll be offered a senior managerial job elsewhere before then.
Arteta apparently rejected the chance to take over at Newcastle United before the start of the season.
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