Arteta top manager material: Guardiola

Pep Guardiola has said Mikel Arteta is destined to become a leading manager as he admitted that Manchester City may face a fight to keep the Spaniard at the club.

Arteta, an assistant coach at City, will be one of the leading candidates to take over at Arsenal if they decide to part ways with Unai Emery, who is under mounting pressure after a dreadful run of results.

Arteta came close to being offered the Arsenal job in the wake of Arsene Wenger’s departure in 2018 and would likely be considered again if Emery left. The Spaniard, a former Arsenal captain, has been integral to City’s success under Guardiola and is considered by many a long-term replacement for the City manager.

“Of course he will be a manager sooner or later,” said Guardiola. “We are going to finish the season, and in the future, I don’t know what will happen. He was an incredible player. Normally, holding midfielders have a vision on the pitch.

“You go to school, you read it, you understand it completely. And he was so clever in that. More than that, he is an incredible human being and has a work ethic. He’s already a manager — he behaves as a manager and that is why we are so satisfied to have him here.”

There were senior members of staff at Arsenal who believed Arteta would be offered the job during the process to replace Wenger last year, while new technical director Edu is set to play a leading role in the decision over Emery and any subsequent search for a new head coach.

“I would like him to stay with us as much as possible,” Guardiola said of Arteta. “Manchester City has an incredibly valuable person to work in this club for the future.”