Highbury_2006
Village Idiot
Ornstein's article:
Manchester City assistant coach Mikel Arteta has informed the club that he has held talks with Arsenal about succeeding Unai Emery as permanent head coach at the Emirates Stadium.
An initial discussion took place last week between Arteta and Arsenal’s head of football Raul Sanllehi and that was followed up on Sunday night when the 37-year-old spent time with the London club’s managing director Vinai Venkatesham and director of football operations Huss Fahmy.
The first meeting was conducted by Arsenal’s primary negotiator and the second — from which photographs emerged of Venkatesham and Fahmy leaving Arteta’s Manchester home in the early hours of Monday — involved those responsible for concluding the financial side of their deals.
Arsenal wanted to sit down with Arteta after Sunday’s Premier League game between the sides in London, which City won comfortably 3-0, but he needed to travel back to the north with the champions’ squad and was not comfortable with the idea. That is why Venkatesham and Fahmy made their way up from the capital in an attempt to finalise matters. It was intended that Arteta would then see director Josh Kroenke — son of Arsenal owner Stan Kroenke — on Monday morning for a ‘golden handshake’, though that is yet to happen.
Arteta has refused to let the process interfere with his City commitments, hence the late night and early morning activities. He was present at training on Monday and has not relayed a decision to the club. It is understood there was also serious interest from Everton, the other English club he played for, while manager Pep Guardiola would like one of his key staff members to stay at the Etihad Stadium.
Despite Arteta keeping City abreast of the situation, the club are yet to receive an approach from or enter into negotiations with Arsenal, and if that changes they will demand appropriate compensation — which would be in seven figures — before granting the Spaniard permission to make the switch.
The City delegation that travelled to Sunday’s victory included chief executive Ferran Soriano, chief operating officer Omar Berrada and director of football Txiki Begiristain. All of them spoke with their opposition counterparts but it is said that none of the home executives mentioned Arteta or a possible move for the former midfielder.
Arteta is extremely well regarded at City and although The Athletic understands he is unlikely to be a prime contender to replace Guardiola as and when the Catalan eventually leaves, they are not averse to the prospect of bringing him back as their manager in the future if he succeeds elsewhere.
Arsenal are hopeful of appointing Arteta, who was also interviewed after Arsène Wenger’s departure in 2018 but lost out to the more experienced Emery. Although Freddie Ljungberg has been in charge on an interim basis and was under consideration to lead the team until the end of the season, the hierarchy’s preference has always been for an external candidate who was immediately available.
Suggestions that Arteta was beaten to the Arsenal job by Emery last time round because of a lack of lined-up backroom staff are inaccurate. The recruitment panel were highly impressed and would have worked with Arteta to build a coaching team, only for Emery to edge ahead at the last moment.
Arsenal staff are in favour of Arteta being installed and there is a growing feeling among influential figures at the club that more of their former players need to be in and around the set-up as they seek to regain an identity on and off the pitch that many feel has been lost.
From the beginning of their search for a new head coach, Arsenal have been seeking candidates whose qualities include strong knowledge of the club and the Premier League, good language and communication skills, being a top operator on the training ground and in the dressing room, and an ability to help players — especially young talents — fulfil their potential.
It is believed Arsenal also met their former captain Patrick Vieira, currently in charge at French club Nice, in London last week, while recently sacked Tottenham Hotspur boss Mauricio Pochettino was another option they explored.
An initial discussion took place last week between Arteta and Arsenal’s head of football Raul Sanllehi and that was followed up on Sunday night when the 37-year-old spent time with the London club’s managing director Vinai Venkatesham and director of football operations Huss Fahmy.
The first meeting was conducted by Arsenal’s primary negotiator and the second — from which photographs emerged of Venkatesham and Fahmy leaving Arteta’s Manchester home in the early hours of Monday — involved those responsible for concluding the financial side of their deals.
Arsenal wanted to sit down with Arteta after Sunday’s Premier League game between the sides in London, which City won comfortably 3-0, but he needed to travel back to the north with the champions’ squad and was not comfortable with the idea. That is why Venkatesham and Fahmy made their way up from the capital in an attempt to finalise matters. It was intended that Arteta would then see director Josh Kroenke — son of Arsenal owner Stan Kroenke — on Monday morning for a ‘golden handshake’, though that is yet to happen.
Arteta has refused to let the process interfere with his City commitments, hence the late night and early morning activities. He was present at training on Monday and has not relayed a decision to the club. It is understood there was also serious interest from Everton, the other English club he played for, while manager Pep Guardiola would like one of his key staff members to stay at the Etihad Stadium.
Despite Arteta keeping City abreast of the situation, the club are yet to receive an approach from or enter into negotiations with Arsenal, and if that changes they will demand appropriate compensation — which would be in seven figures — before granting the Spaniard permission to make the switch.
The City delegation that travelled to Sunday’s victory included chief executive Ferran Soriano, chief operating officer Omar Berrada and director of football Txiki Begiristain. All of them spoke with their opposition counterparts but it is said that none of the home executives mentioned Arteta or a possible move for the former midfielder.
Arteta is extremely well regarded at City and although The Athletic understands he is unlikely to be a prime contender to replace Guardiola as and when the Catalan eventually leaves, they are not averse to the prospect of bringing him back as their manager in the future if he succeeds elsewhere.
Arsenal are hopeful of appointing Arteta, who was also interviewed after Arsène Wenger’s departure in 2018 but lost out to the more experienced Emery. Although Freddie Ljungberg has been in charge on an interim basis and was under consideration to lead the team until the end of the season, the hierarchy’s preference has always been for an external candidate who was immediately available.
Suggestions that Arteta was beaten to the Arsenal job by Emery last time round because of a lack of lined-up backroom staff are inaccurate. The recruitment panel were highly impressed and would have worked with Arteta to build a coaching team, only for Emery to edge ahead at the last moment.
Arsenal staff are in favour of Arteta being installed and there is a growing feeling among influential figures at the club that more of their former players need to be in and around the set-up as they seek to regain an identity on and off the pitch that many feel has been lost.
From the beginning of their search for a new head coach, Arsenal have been seeking candidates whose qualities include strong knowledge of the club and the Premier League, good language and communication skills, being a top operator on the training ground and in the dressing room, and an ability to help players — especially young talents — fulfil their potential.
It is believed Arsenal also met their former captain Patrick Vieira, currently in charge at French club Nice, in London last week, while recently sacked Tottenham Hotspur boss Mauricio Pochettino was another option they explored.
We’ve become such a classless club since Raul took over. Hopefully we get Arteta over the line.
