Mikel Arteta
Arsenal postponed yesterday’s scheduled pre-match press conference as Mikel Arteta looks set to be confirmed as the club’s new manager this week.
Interim boss Freddie Ljungberg was set to answer questions yesterday ahead of Arsenal’s game at Everton tomorrow but that has now been postponed.
Arteta, the Manchester City coach and former Gunners captain, has been in talks with Arsenal this week and looks set to take over at the Emirates, with an announcement expected before the weekend.
Arteta was in the City dugout for their 3-1 win against Oxford United on Wednesday in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals.
However, City manager Pep Guardiola confirmed earlier in the week that the Spaniard was in talks with Arsenal about taking over on a permanent basis, following an underwhelming caretaker spell under Ljungberg.
Arsenal managing director Vinai Venkatesham and chief contract negotiator Huss Fahmy were pictured leaving the Manchester mansion of Arteta in the early hours of Monday morning.
The Gunners plan to finalise a compensation package (in the region of £2million) to poach City’s assistant manager on Thursday.
But City sources labelled Arsenal’s attitude ‘shambolic’ and ‘disrespectful’, although they will not stand in the Spaniard’s way once compensation has been paid in full.