Manchester City are keeping close tabs on Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta’s contract situation, according to TBRFootball.
The website claims that the reigning Premier League champions are “huge admirers” of the Spaniard (along with Barcelona) and they would consider appointing him if Pep Guardiola leaves the Etihad.
Arteta’s contract with the Gunners expires in 2025 and, while the London club don’t expect to lose him, they are pressing ahead to tie down their manager in order to stop him from leaving at the end of next season.
The Spaniard has spent four and a half years at the Emirates, with his Arsenal team having run City close for the title in the last two campaigns.
Is Guardiola likely to leave City soon?
Like Arteta, the Cityzens boss has just over a year remaining on his current deal. Currently, there are no credible reports that suggest the 53-year-old will end his time in Manchester.
However, the club do need to put contingency plans in place just in case Guardiola decides he has had enough. The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich head coach has been in charge for the best part of eight years and City know that they won’t be able to keep hold of him forever.
Could Arteta be Guardiola’s successor?
The Spaniard is clearly happy at Arsenal but he does also have a close connection with City, having been the club’s assistant manager under Guardiola for three and a half years.
It would not be a surprise if Director of Football Txiki Begiristain has included him on a list of potential candidates who could succeed Guardiola. Whether it is a realistic possibility, though, is another matter.
All the signs at the moment do point to Arteta signing another contract extension with the Gunners, rather than being tempted back to the Etihad.
