Mikel Arteta wants ex-Manchester United star as his assistant manager at Arsenal: Reports
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta is reportedly interested in bringing former Manchester United defender Gabriel Heinze into his backroom team as an assistant manager.
The former Argentine defender lifted the Premier League title with Manchester United under the guidance of Sir Alex Ferguson, spending three years at the club. According to reports by ESPN Argentina (via the Daily Mail), the current Arsenal boss is keen to bring his former Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) teammate to his setup at the Emirates.
The former Manchester United defender has been looking for an opportunity to get into coaching since he retired from the sport a decade ago. Now, his former teammate might offer him the chance he has been looking for.
Current assistants at the Emirates stadium Albert Stuivenberg and Carlos Cuesta have been tipped to take on managerial roles of their own soon. Arteta has reiterated that he would not stand in the way of any potential moves for the two, saying (via Daily Mail):
"If that's their will? You cannot [stop them]. I wouldn't, no, It's very important, and with the staff as well. I think everybody needs to feel that there is a path, there is a development plan for everyone. People don't want to do the same thing for three, four, five years you know, and there is a way to incentivise people, to inspire other people, and then to explore."
The Gunners boss continued:
"Because you don't really know the limit of a person unless you expose him to certain things. I think curiosity is a really important quality that we have within our young staff, and that thrives."
Arteta will hope he can send off his assistants positively, with the Spaniard taking the reigns at Arsenal after a stint as assistant to Pep Guardiola at Manchester City. The Gunners boss hopes to strengthen the north London backroom with another addition with ties to Manchester.
Manchester United emerge as a dark horse in transfer saga for Arsenal target Ivan Toney
Manchester United seems to have emerged as a dark horse in the race to sign Arsenal target Ivan Toney in the summer, according to reports by The Mirror.
The Brentford striker has proven to be one of the finest forwards in the division in recent years and is a key part of Thomas Frank's setup. The Gunners were initially linked with a move for the striker but have reportedly cooled their interest in the former Newcastle man.
Manchester United are in terrible shape and will look for reinforcements ahead of the next campaign. If Arsenal fail to bid for the striker, he could make the trip up north to play for their rivals.