Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal move is ‘not in our hands’ says Guardiola
Manchester City have told Arsenal they will have to pay more than the release fee of around £1m written into Mikel Arteta’s contract if they are to appoint the former midfielder as their next manager. The Citizens are understood to be furious about the way the Gunners have conducted themselves as they seek to take the Spaniard back to the Emirates as Unai Emery’s replacement.
Arteta has been Pep Guardiola’s assistant at City since hanging up his boots in 2016 and immediately heading to the Etihad to start his coaching career.
City rate the 37-year-old highly and, while he has been given permission by Guardiola to move on, they are bitterly disappointed by the prospect of losing him.
Express Sport revealed earlier this week that City were bemused by what has been described behind the scenes as a "shambolic" approach to appointing Arteta.
A City source said: "It’s surprising to hear that plans are being made by Arsenal to unveil our coach as their head coach on Friday on the basis that no contact has been made by the club to discuss this matter."
Man City assistant manager Mikel Arteta is set to leave the Etihad to take charge of Arsenal (Image: GETTY)
The Athletic are now reporting City’s unhappiness over the state of affairs has seen them make a fresh financial demand.
It is claimed City chiefs are ‘fighting for an improved financial package’ due to Arsenal’s failure to speak to them before holding talks with Arteta.
That means Arsenal now face handing over more than £1m to City, who could report the north Londoners to the FA for not gaining permission to begin negotiations with their incoming manager.
Arsenal managing director Vinai Venkatesham and chief contract negotiator Huss Fahmy were pictured leaving Arteta’s residence in Manchester in the early hours of Monday morning.
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Man City assistant manager Mikel Arteta is due to start his managerial career at Arsenal (Image: GETTY)
Those talks over the Citizens assistant filling Emery’s boots at the Emirates had not been sanctioned, despite Arsenal and City board members having been in the same executive box for last Sunday’s Premier League showdown between the two sides.
Arsenal must now either find a way to convince City to reduce their demands or simply stump up the revised figure to get their man.
Arsenal, coming off the back of last weekend’s 3-0 home defeat to City, return to action on Saturday lunchtime when they take on Everton at Goodison Park.
The Toffees are understood to be on the verge of appointing Carlo Ancelotti as their next manager, two weeks on from parting ways with Marco Silva.