Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has been told he could be the "best possible replacement" should Pep Guardiola leave Manchester City.
The current Premier League champions are winless in six games in all competitions, with their miserable run continuing on Tuesday as they squandered a 3-0 lead inside the final 15 minutes to draw 3-3 with Feyenoord in the Champions League. Guardiola signed a new contract with City earlier this month, keeping him at the club until 2027, but Emmanuel Petit believes the Spaniard "looks tired".
Petit, who had spells at Arsenal, Barcelona and Chelsea, believes Arteta would be a decent replacement for Guardiola should the 53-year-old walk away from his role at Etihad Stadium anytime soon. Speaking to Prime Casino, Petit said: "Pep Guardiola has begun to show signs of tiredness in the last two years and you can sometimes see that he is lacking energy.
"Jurgen Klopp leaving Liverpool was a huge blow for Guardiola because he had that competition to push him to be at his very best. He’s not a worse manager now but I think he does look tired and mentally it takes a lot of energy to be a manager at the highest level.
"The best possible replacement for Guardiola could be Mikel Arteta. He knows the club and he knows the philosophy which he has tried to repeat at Arsenal. Things move so fast and anything can happen in football, Arteta could step into Guardiola’s shoes but City wouldn’t be the only club interested in him."
Arteta signed a new contract with Arsenal in September, keeping him at Emirates Stadium until 2027. The 42-year-old was Guardiola's assistant coach before taking up the role as Gunners boss in 2019, although it appears he has no desire to return to Manchester anytime soon.
“I feel extremely proud, very excited and am looking forward to what is coming next. I’m proud to be where I am and have the relationships that I have with everyone at the club," Arteta told the Arsenal club website following the news that he had signed a new deal.
“I feel extremely lucky to work every single day with good people and the ambition we have here. I feel very inspired, I feel challenged, I feel supported and I want to do much more than what we’ve already done together.
“Together with the players and everyone at the club, we are looking forward to the coming years, with our supporters, who have emotionally transformed the club and the team. Our supporters have transformed individuals and we are different now. You can tell that we are different and for me, that is down to them. We look forward to continuing the journey together.”
This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more
Keep warm on the sidelines