Manchester City have added a surprise name to Pep Guardiola’s backroom staff – former Arsenal captain Mikel Arteta.
The Spaniard left the Emirates at the end of last season after an injury-hit final season in north London, but while there was speculation that he could stay on as a coach, the Mirror report that he has now joined City in that capacity instead.
The 34-year-old, who also played for Everton for several years, was also linked with a move to Arsenal’s bitter rivals Spurs because he is a close friend of Lilywhites boss Mauricio Pochettino as the pair played together at Paris Saint-Germain.
Arteta is a surprising choice by Guardiola, but it is also a prudent one.
After successful spells in La Liga and the Bundesliga, this will the manager’s first spell in English football.
It’s only right that he has opted for a fellow Spaniard who knows the Premier League inside out and as a flair player himself, Arteta will have a similar coaching philosophy to Guardiola no doubt.
City are set to build their squad up even further over the summer, so it could be up to Arteta to ensure they get the best out of their abundance of new attacking players.
Check out Football Advisor for profitable betting predictions
