After retiring from soccer as a player at the end of the season, Mikel Arteta has joined Manchester City's coaching staff in a deal which will be officially announced "imminently," according to John Cross. Arteta had offers to join the coaching teams at Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal, but has chosen to ditch London for the northwest.
It had been rumored for a while that this would come to pass – not only is incoming City manager Pep Guardiola one of the best in the game (and, therefore, undeniably someone a hopeful future manager would want to learn from), but he and Arteta are friends from their days together in the La Masia academy at Barcelona.
Cross says that Arteta left Arsenal "on good enough terms" to return in the future if the coach and club have mutual interest, which is good news for people like me who have hoped to one day see him manage Arsenal despite his total lack of current experience. But you know, just trust me, it would work. You'll see.
Good luck to Mikel at City, though not too much. And come home soon, we miss your hair already.