Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola and Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta have known each other for a long time. Both worked together during Pep’s early days as the manager of the Premier League side.
Even though his rival club’s manager, Guardiola has always appreciated his countrymen. However, he has recently revealed the truth about his former assistant manager.
In a recent interview, the former Barcelona manager said that Arteta has a great talent to convince the board of the club for more transfer funds. He said, “He’s a guy who is so demanding with the board. He’s like: give me money, money to spend! He has this talent, too. Sometimes it’s more like, okay, what the club decides. He pushes everyone.”
🔴⚪️ Guardiola on Arteta: “He’s a guy who is so demanding with the board”.
“He’s like: give me money, money to spend! He has this talent, too”.
“Sometimes it’s more like: Okay, what the club decides. He pushes everyone”, Pep says via @BeanymanSports. pic.twitter.com/xWIGMbNdM8
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) October 8, 2023
Arsenal have reportedly spent over $807 million on transfers ever since the Arteta era started at the club back in December 2019. They spent over $244 million this summer as well and they acquired the services of stars like Declan Rice and Kai Havertz.
Their huge spending has shown results as the club was in the eighth position for two years. However, they were title contenders as they gave a very close fight to teh current champions Man City but couldn’t lift the title. However, they managed to get back to the Champions League after 7 years.
Pep Guardiola asks Phil Foden to help his team-mates more often
Man City manager Pep Guardiola is not ready to restrain the attacking instincts of Phil Foden. However, he believes the English star has to be less selfish and work hard for his team as well.
In a recent interview, the former Bayern Munich manager mentioned Foden as a “bird” who is natural in the final third. But he has also mentioned that he is looking for greater tactical understanding from the attacker especially in Belgium star Kevin De Bruyne’s absence.
Guardiola said, “I think Phil has a free instinct as a footballer. He’s not a player who thinks so much when he plays, he’s a bird – fly wherever you want. But there is a step he has to take and some duties he must do for the team. Phil has played right, left, in the pockets; no problem.”
🗣️ “He’s a bird, fly wherever you want to”
✅ Stockport
✅ BuryAcademy players Phil Foden & Rico Lewis are soaring under the guidance of Pep Guardiola.
Do they start today?
🔴 Arsenal 🆚 Man City 🔵
🎧 https://t.co/1PD1CJdJFu
📻 95.1FM | DAB#ManCity #MCFC #bbcfootball— BBC Sport Manchester (@BBCRMsport) October 8, 2023
The manager concluded as he said, “Could he play, in the end, as a holding midfielder? For that, he needs to understand the game as a whole, not just ‘me’. As he grows, he needs to add things to his game.”
Foden has played a pivotal role in Man City’s attack ever since he joined the senior team in 2017. He has already made 230 appearances for the club in all competitions and has scored 62 goals and made 45 assists as well.
With De Bruyne being absent, Pep Guardiola would hope Foden would take up his place temporarily and help his team continue the trophy-laden run.
They are currently in the third place of the Premier League table after Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal. They would now look to be one of the major contenders of the league as they have been for the past couple of years.