The rumors linking Manchester City assistant coach Mikel Arteta to potential managerial positions at Arsenal and Everton speak to his ability as a coach, but City must do everything possible to secure his future.
The growth as a coach of former Arsenal and Everton midfielder Mikel Arteta during his time as Pep Guardiola’s assistant at Manchester City is phenomenal. After being passed over in favor of Unai Emery to fill the Arsenal vacancy after long term manager Arsène Wenger’s departure, Arteta has matured in to one of English football’s hottest names.
An extremely intelligent player, the Spaniard has grown into a top assistant under Guardiola, who believes that Arteta has a bright future in management.
"“He’s an incredible human being, with incredible values about what it means in the locker room to be together,” Guardiola said per The Telegraph. “He is already an incredible manager and he’ll have incredible success in his future. We see the football in really quite a close way.”"
As the assistant to one of the greatest managers in history, it makes sense why Arteta is closely linked to a position at both of his former clubs—especially given the pressure currently faced by Emery and Marco Silva.
However, in my opinion, he is the ideal Guardiola replacement should he depart the club. Rumors pertaining to his exit from Manchester have been flying for nearly two years, linking him to Juventus, Bayern Munich, and various international jobs. Although City would like him to stay for the long term, and he has a perfect situation at the Etihad, this seems unlikely.
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Therefore, should City need a replacement, there is no better place to turn than Arteta. Having already learned under Guardiola, he will carry on the beautiful, possession-based style of football associated with City that is taught all the way down at the academy level.
Arteta may not be the most experienced choice, but he is guaranteed to carry on Guardiola’s legacy and lead City into the new era with confidence. He knows the club, he has a relationship with the players, and would ease the transition away from the greatest boss in club history. Therefore, City must do whatever it takes to keep their assistant on the bench in Manchester.