Mikel Arteta bids emotional farewell to City staff, to be named Arsenal manager soon

Former Arsenal captain Mikel Arteta is on the verge of being named as the new manager of Arsenal. Reports in the UK suggest that the Spaniard gave an emotional speech to the Manchester City players and staff. He has already agreed to a contract with the Premier League club.

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Premier League: Mikel Arteta to swap Manchester City for Arsenal

Mikel Arteta was close to replacing Arsene Wenger as the manager of Arsenal in 2018. However, the job eventually went to Unai Emery. Arteta has been with Manchester City ever since he was an assistant to Pep Guardiola. Arsenal recently sacked Unai Emery after a string of poor performances and Arteta was instantly touted as the one to succeed Emery. While Arsenal looked for the right man for the job, Freddie Ljungberg was appointed as the interim manager.

According to the latest reports, Mikel Arteta has, in fact, signed a contract with Arsenal to replace Emery and it can be unveiled as soon as Friday. The reports also suggest that Arteta gave an emotional speech to the City players and staff on Thursday before leaving for the Emirates to complete formalities. It is believed that Arsenal will pay £2 million as compensation to Manchester City. Arsenal's primary negotiators have been their Head of Football Raul Sanllehi and managing director Vinai Venkatesham.

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A former Arsenal captain, Mikel Arteta played 149 games for Arsenal in all competitions. It is believed that the Spaniard already commands respect among Arsenal players and will be given enough time for the project at the Emirates. Interim manager Freddie Ljungberg is expected to take charge of the Gunners for the final time at Goodison Park on Saturday.

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Mikel Arteta's contract: The ink is still wet

Fans welcome Mikel Arteta at Arsenal 

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