Premier League News: Mikel Arteta explains why he rejected managerial roles at Arsenal and Newcastle United
What's the story?
Mikel Arteta has explained why he rejected opportunities to manage Arsenal and Newcaste United in favour of staying at Manchester City in his assistant coaching role.
In case you didn't know...
After hanging up his boots at the Emirates in 2016, Arteta made his way to Manchester City, where he has played an integral role in Pep Guardiola's coaching set-up.
Following Arsene Wenger's exit last summer, the Spaniard emerged as a favourite for the vacant managerial job at Arsenal, having held extensive discussions with the north London club before opting to remain at the Etihad.
The 37-year-old recently made the headlines once again as he became a top target for Newcastle United after the departure of Rafael Benitez earlier this summer.
Arteta turned down both the jobs and remained Guardiola's assistant at Manchester City, for whom he has created successful tactical plays that have helped the side to a series of domestic titles.
The heart of the matter
In an interview with SER Catalunya, Arteta revealed how close he was to leaving for Arsenal in 2018 before deciding to stay with Manchester City.
When asked if he was closer to leaving for Arsenal than Newcastle’s interest, he replied via The Mirror,
"I was about to leave [for Arsenal], but I stopped myself. The first [time] was different, the second [Newcastle] was mostly me.
"And the third is a matter of loyalty, when you promise someone to continue next year, with little time to manoeuvre, it was not appropriate to make that decision. And because I think we still have that space for improvement and that ambition to be able to do something we dream of, which is to win the Champions League. That work remains to be done.
"And a group in which I am super comfortable. We have a staff environment where we are challenged daily but at the same time we have a very good human collective.
"And you are comfortable and have fun, and every day this good atmosphere helps a lot."
What's next?
Manchester City will return to action when they face Norwich City in the Premier League on Saturday.