Manchester City fans can look forward to at least one more season of Pep Guardiola after the current campaign.
Fans rejoiced as reports surfaced that Guardiola is extending his contract at City – and rival supporters recoiled.
Official confirmation is expected soon, and hopefully, the news will now settle things down at the club.
Currently, Manchester City are on a four-game losing streak and some have suggested that the noise around Guardiola’s future has been a contributing factor.
Guardiola’s new contract will be for one year, and there will apparently be an option for a second.
But one outlet has made a big claim about the situation – and Arsenal fans may not like it.
Mikel Arteta is Man City’s ‘dream target’ to replace Pep Guardiola
Football Transfers made a huge claim last night about Manchester City and Pep Guardiola last night.
The option is there for Guardiola to stay for two more years, but FT have reported City are actually planning for life after Guardiola in 2026.
It’s stated ‘the option to keep the tactician for a further season is purely a contingency should City bosses feel that the team is not yet ready to cope with his departure’.
Apparently, City’s ‘dream target to replace’ Guardiola is none other than Mikel Arteta, the current Arsenal manager and Pep’s main managerial rival.
Arteta is seen as the ‘ideal successor’ by City chiefs.
Arteta has not been approached by City, but it’s claimed his situation is being watched with a view to a potential approach in the future.
Spaniard Arteta, of course, used to be City’s assistant manager from July 2016 until December 2019.
Arteta back to Man City would be an incredible story
This is quite the claim from FT, with Arteta having been a direct rival of City now for the past few years.
He may have spent a few years at the Etihad Stadium, but many City fans now see him as the enemy, having tried to knock City off their perch as Arsenal manager.
It would be some story if Arteta did ultimately succeed Pep, and one that may not go down very well at all with the Gunners faithful, although we are talking a long time in the future here.
| Mikel Arteta record as Arsenal manager |
| Games managed – 248 |
| Wins – 149 |
| Draws – 39 |
| Losses – 60 |
| Goals scored – 480 |
| Goals conceded – 260 |
| Major trophies won – 1 |
One would imagine that Arteta would have to have been out of a job for a fair while before walking back into City.
It would probably be out of the question for him to walk straight from the Arsenal job to replace Guardiola.
But never say never in football – the fact he had a stint at City maybe means a future move cannot be entirely ruled out, which will likely very much annoy Arsenal supporters.
If Pep didn’t want to take up his option of a second year, then he may well vouch for Arteta to replace him. After the draw between the sides earlier this season, Guardiola revealed he texts Arteta and their relationship is very strong.
