Mikel Arteta’s lawyers are holding final talks with Arsenal to conclude a deal for him to take the manager’s job after Pep Guardiola accepted his assistant’s wish to leave Manchester City.
Arteta, who has been offered a long-term contract, believed to be until 2023, is in line at Arsenal to replace Unai Emery, who was sacked on 29 November, and take the reins from the caretaker, Freddie Ljungberg. City are believed to have demanded around £1m in compensation but are still awaiting formal discussions with Arsenal to settle this.
City do not want to stand in Arteta’s way but are unimpressed by the way Arsenal have gone about their business.
The 37-year-old Arteta has no experience as a manager, though he has worked alongside Guardiola since July 2016. The former midfielder was a candidate to take the Arsenal job 19 months ago before the club opted for Emery.
Brendan Rodgers was on Arsenal’s shortlist this month but signed a new contract at Leicester. Arteta is set to take over a team 10th in the Premier League after winning one of their past nine league games, going back to early October.