Premier League side Arsenal are set to appoint former club captain Mikel Arteta as their new head coach on a contract until 2023.
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.
Meanwhile, after the club chiefs met with Arteta on Sunday, Director Josh Kroenke is reported to have flown back to the United States, to meet his father and the majority shareholder of the club, Stan Kroenke on the issue. It is reported that he is satisfied with the decision that has been made.
According to reports, Kroenke had been in England for the past month to oversee a smooth transition from the Emery regime to a new manager.
Daily Mail claims that Arteta has been in talks over a three-and-a-half-year contract that would run until the end of the 2022/23 season and stands to earn an annual salary close to £5m, around the same figure that Emery was paid.
Arteta is expected to be given an experienced backroom staff and will have significant input over who is appointed to help him. Rodolfo Borrell is tipped to follow him from Manchester, while Domenec Torrent, a coach who has worked with Guardiola for many years, is another tipped to follow Arteta to the Emirates.
FutballNews had reported that Arsenal managing director Vinai Venkatesham and chief contract negotiator Huss Fahmy were pictured leaving Artera’s Manchester home in the early hours of Monday morning.
It was learned that the Arsenal officials held a two-and-a-half-hour meeting with the former Gunners captain at his mansion and left at around 1.20am.
In a related development, City manager Pep Guardiola admits that Arteta has held talks with Arsenal 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.
