Exiting Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has insisted that Manchester City assistant coach Mikel Arteta has all the “qualities” required to succeed him at the club.
Leaving Arsenal after 22 years, Wenger is believed to be hoping to leave the club to in ;safe hands’ of the former Everton and Arsenal midfielder cum captain with talks reportedly due to be held between the two parties.
“He has all the qualities to do the job, yes and I think as well he is one of the favourites,” Wenger told beIN SPORTS. He was a leader and he has a good passion for the game and he knows the club well, he knows what is important at the club and he was captain of the club. Why not? I left a lot of experience behind me, people who were with me like Steve Bould who has six years’ experience, and Jens Lehmann too. He [Arteta] has been an assistant of Guardiola as well, so overall I think he has the qualities.”
Pep Guardiola has confirmed that he will allow the Spaniard to leave City, should the 36-year-old be offered the job. Wenger has given his backing to Arteta as the next manager of Arsenal, who missed out on Champions League qualification for the second year in a row and lost in the semi-finals of the Europa League.