Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino wants Arsenal captain Mikel Arteta to join his coaching staff at White Hart Lane. The Spanish midfielder's contract with the Gunners will expire at the end of the 2015-16 season and Arsene Wenger has not yet handed him a new deal.
According to The Telegraph, the Argentine boss is willing to hand the midfielder his first role in management next season. Arteta has not started in the Premier League this season and has made two starts in all competitions for his side.
Injuries, coupled with poor form has seen first team opportunities being limited at the Emirates.
The 34-year-old is yet to decide whether he will want to extend his playing career or to take up a coaching role. Tottenham are not the only club interested in securing Arteta's services as incoming Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is also looking to land him in the summer.
Guardiola, who is currently managing Bayern Munich, has already agreed a deal to manage the Premier League side from the start of the next season. The former Barcelona manager has identified Arteta to add his coaching staff at the Etihad.
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Both Tottenham and City are willing to offer him an initial player-coach role, something which Ryan Giggs did when David Moyes was the manager at Manchester United. It is believed that the Manchester club and Pochettino's side are in the race, ahead of Arsenal in handing him a similar role at the Emirates.
Arteta spent one season on-loan at Paris Saint-Germain from Barcelona in 2001. During his time at Parc des Princes, Pochettino was also a part of the French club's squad and both share the relationship since then.
Tottenham boss went on to reveal that both have a good relationship from their playing days.
"I love him and he loves me. You know our history from PSG, when he was 17 and I was the captain. We have a very good relationship. The thing is rumours and you know I never speak about rumours," Pochettino explained, as quoted by The Daily Mail.
Arteta even went a step ahead and suggested that Pochettino was like his dad when he was at PSG.
“He was the captain and he really looked after me. He was like a dad, even if he doesn’t like that word, but he has been a top person in my career," Arteta said, as reported by The Sun.
The former Southampton manager suggested that Arteta is like his brother. He said, “I love Mikel. He was like my brother. My son? No, my brother!”
