Guardiola Keen To Retain Arteta Amid Arsenal Links
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has reiterated his desire to keep assistant Mikel Arteta at the club amid growing links to former club Arsenal.
Unai Emery’s job at the Emirates Stadium is on the fringes with Arsenal winless in their last five Premier League games.
Alongside former Tottenham Hotspurs manager Mauricio Pochettino and ex-Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri, Arteta has been touted as one of the favourites to take over the Gunners.
Ex-Arsenal captain Arteta retired from football in the summer of 2016 and soon after joined Guardiola’s coaching staff at the Etihad Stadium.
He has helped the Citizens to two Premier League titles in his time at the club.
The 37-year-old was interviewed for the Arsenal job when Arsene Wenger departed in the summer of 2018 but Emery got the nod.
Arteta is back on his former club’s radar following Emery’s recent struggles but Guardiola is intent on retaining his services, at least for the remainder of this season.
Questioned about the rumours linking Arteta with Arsenal, Guardiola said: ‘I think for my news Unai Emery is manager for Arsenal.
‘Of course he [Arteta] will be a manager sooner or later. If I was in his position, as an assistant coach as young as he is, always we will have that. Now we are going to finish this season and in the future I don’t know what is going to happen.’
‘I would like honestly for him to stay with us as long as possible. Not just Pep, Manchester City has an incredibly valuable person to work in this club for the future.
‘But personal life is personal life. Professional desires are professional, each one. Everyone, not just me, are more than satisfied to have him here, but what will happen at the end of the season I don’t know.’
