Premier League side Arsenal are set to confirm Manchester City assistant manager Mikel Arteta as the new head coach before the weekend.
According to reports, the deal is being held up by City’s compensation demands, who are said to be angry at how Arsenal went behind their back to talk to the Spaniard. City is, however, said to recoup £2m for their assistant manager.
Arsenal are in advanced talks with Arteta and has been offered a three-and-a-half-year contract. He stands to earn an annual salary close to £5m, around the same figure that Emery was paid. However, the Spaniard is unlikely to be in the dugout for Saturday’s clash with Everton and instead should watch from the stands at Goodison Park.
The Spaniard could be in charge of his first match as Arsenal manager against Bournemouth on Boxing Day.
Arteta, who spent five years at the club, came close to getting the job in the summer of 2018 before the club decided to appoint Unai Emery instead. The Spaniard also knows the club, knows the Premier League and is available to take over immediately.
Arteta’s appointment could be imminent on Thursday after postponing the club postponed interim boss Freddie Ljungberg’s news conference to Friday. Ljungberg was set to face the media ahead of Saturday’s trip to Everton but it was moved with the club giving no information about who will face the media.
Arteta is expected to be given an experienced backroom staff and will have significant input over who is appointed to help him.
Report says that some backroom staff at City will follow Arteta to the Emirates. Among them is Borrell, while Domenec Torrent, a coach who has worked with Pep Guardiola for many years, is another tipped to follow Arteta.
Meanwhile, City manager Guardiola admits that Arteta has held talks with the former Gunners captain over their open manager’s position.
While preparing for the EFL Cup quarter-final with Oxford United, Guardiola said: ”He’s talking with Arsenal so I don’t know what’s going to happen.”
The City boss vows that Mikel Arteta is an incredible person and a good manager having worked with him for some times. And will be traveling to Oxford with the team.
But Guardiola said that he is happy with Arteta joining his former Club and also in the Premier League. He urges Arsenal to be quick on the decision.
