Wednesday 27 November 2019 07:26, UK
Pep Guardiola admits his current Manchester City assistant Mikel Arteta will become a manager "sooner or later" amid links to the Arsenal job.
The increasing speculation over the future of Arsenal head coach Unai Emery has led to debate over who could replace him at the Emirates.
Arteta is currently the bookmakers' favourite to return to the club where he spent five seasons - two of them as captain - after spending more than three years on Guardiola's coaching staff.
He was in the running to replace Arsene Wenger before Emery's appointment in the summer of 2018, and Guardiola suggested he is unsure whether City could keep hold of Arteta if a managerial opportunity presented itself.
"Unai Emery is the manager of Arsenal," said Guardiola. "[But] of course [Arteta] will be a manager sooner or later. We are going to finish the season but in the future I don't know what is going to happen.
"I would like him to stay with us. Manchester City has a person of incredible value to work here in the future. But professional desires are professional desires. Everyone is more than satisfied to have him here.
"He was an incredible player. The holding midfielder has a vision of what happens on the pitch. When you are a striker you think of the goals and 'keepers to save it.
"But I think that the holding midfielder is an incredible lesson during your period as a football player. You don't need to go to school.
"More than that he is an incredible human being and works a lot. I said after a few months together he would be a manager. He is already a manager - he behaves like a manager."
Pep Guardiola says Sergio Aguero will be out for a "few weeks" due to the muscular injury he sustained against Chelsea.
Aguero's injury will rule him out of the derby against Manchester United on Saturday, December 7, live on Sky Sports.
Guardiola's side face 10 matches in five weeks as they bid to close the nine-point gap to Liverpool in the Premier League, as well as secure progress in the Champions League and Carabao Cup.
"It's the toughest period happening now," Guardiola said.
"It's a lot of games but it's what it is. My advice to my players and myself is not to think too much. We have enough good players and the mentality will give us extra. Maybe it will help us.
