Josh Kroenke ready to sign off contract, as Arsenal step up efforts to land top boss target

Mikel Arteta TEAMtalk

Mikel Arteta is increasingly looking like Arsenal’s number one choice to replace Unai Emery, with Josh Kroenke in London to sign off any prospective contract.

Arsenal have conducted a series of meetings with the Manchester City assistant in recent days, according to the Daily Telegraph. And Arsenal’s managing director Vinai Venkatesham and  the director of football operations Huss Fahmy have been pictured leaving Arteta’s Manchester home in the early hours of Monday morning.

Sky Sports have also reported that the Gunners are stepping on the gas for their former midfielder and claimed “Arsenal officials are today in talks with their counterparts at Manchester City over the availability of Mikel Arteta”.

 

 

Arteta was in the dugout at The Emirates on Sunday as Man City piled more woe on Freddie Lungberg’s men with a 3-0 victory.

And afterwards the Swede urged the Arsenal board to make a swift decision over his interim position.

 

 

“I’ve said to [the board] they need to make a decision,” Ljungberg said. “We are here to help and the staff are trying to chip in but a decision has to be made so we can have the same resources as other clubs.”

The Sun last week claimed that Arteta would love to return to Arsenal and manage the club he played for from 2011 until 2016.

However, the 37-year-old former Rangers and Everton midfielder wants assurances about the long-term project at the Gunners before starting talks over a contract.

Ten days ago City boss Pep Guardiola said the club have not received any approaches for Arteta but the City boss believes his colleague is ready to make the step up.

 

 

Asked if he could one day succeed him at the Etihad Stadium, Guardiola said: “He is able to do that, but it depends on him, the club – many things that I cannot decide.”

Guardiola, however, says he would not stand in Arteta’s way if he wanted to take up an opportunity elsewhere.

He said: “I’m not a guy that puts a gun to the heads of my staff or players and says what they have to do.”

Arteta was in the running to take over from Arsene Wenger in 2018, and in fact held extensive talks with Arsenal chiefs in that summe, but the mantle at the north London club was eventually handed to Emery.

Now it’s thought that Arteta has risen to the top of Arsenal’s wanted list, although Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo remains an alternative, and with owner Stan Kroenke’s son Josh in town, a contract may well be signed off this week.