Mikel Arteta to Arsenal is a move 20 years in the making – Guillem Balague column

Guillem Balague will be writing a regular column throughout the season and also appearing every Thursday on BBC Radio 5 Live’s Football Daily podcast, when the focus will be on European football.

You can download the latest Football Daily podcast here.

Mikel Arteta has been appointed Arsenal’s new manager and, while he may appear something of a novice to many, those who know him well say it is a moment he started preparing for more than 20 years ago.

Even in his early playing days at Barcelona’s academy, in 1997, he was showing the kind of leadership skills which made him a distinctive figure. He has left his mark everywhere he has been since then, not merely as a player but also as a major influence on the team, both on and off the pitch.

Such is the regard in which he is held at Manchester City, there has long been an understanding that it was only ever going to be a matter of time before their assistant manager found himself being offered the top job at another major club. He has rejected the possibility of leading Newcastle and Lyon in recent months as they did not feel right at the time.

In a recent interview City manager Pep Guardiola said: “Everyone has dreams and desires. Hopefully he’s going to stay this season and the next for as long as possible at this club. That would be my dream.”

In fact Guardiola, who knows that most managers cannot choose when and where to move, told Arteta that if an offer of this stature arrived, he would kick him out of the club himself. When it did, Arteta could not refuse – and he kept Guardiola informed of Arsenal’s interest as he had done when other clubs approached him.

In that same interview, Guardiola added that “with his knowledge about the game and his work ethic, he’s ready, absolutely”, adding that it was not beyond the realms of possibility that Arteta might be his successor as City boss.

Guardiola will inevitably be a major influence on Arteta. As will another of the leading Premier League managers of recent years: Mauricio Pochettino.

When Arteta moved to Paris St-Germain on loan in 2001, he found there a kindred spirit in the Argentine, who was one of the first players he tried to emulate.