Manchester City target shock summer move for Arsenal midfielder

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Published on:

22 Feb 2016, 5:08 pm

By Miguel de Souza

Pep Guardiola is set to ask Mikel Arteta to join the Manchester City coaching staff in the summer, according to a report.

The Arsenal midfielder is out of contract at the end of the season and, as revealed by Football Insider earlier this month, is weighing up retirement.

According to the Times, Arteta is a friend of Guardiola and his fitness coach, Lorenzo Buenaventura, and visited the pair recently at Bayern Munich's Säbener Strasse training headquarters.

With Guardiola joining City from Bayern in the summer, he is said to be considering a role for Arteta on his staff at Etihad Stadium.

Arteta is a fellow graduate of Barcelona's La Masia academy and has a wealth of Premier League experience from 11 years playing in the English top flight.

Arteta has begun preparing for his post-playing days by starting to take his coaching badges at Arsenal and works with the club's academy during his increasingly frequent absences from the first team.

As revealed by Football Insider, Arteta is batting a chronic calf problem that is struggling to heal, and is ready to hang up his boots in the summer.

Arsenal

Manchester City

Pep Guardiola

Mikel Arteta