Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has spoken on Mikel Arteta's future after his assistant when linked with moves to both Everton and Arsenal.
Blues boss Marco Silva has survived a 2-0 home defeat to a Norwich City side who went into the fixture bottom of the Premier League although Goodison Park chiefs met to discuss his future after the game.
A section of home fans joined in with their Canaries counterparts on Saturday with chants of: “You're getting sacked in the morning” and speculation remains rife though that after six defeats in his last nine Premier League games, Silva's Everton tenure could be on the brink.
Although some reports have linked long-serving former manager David Moyes , 56, with a potential return, serious doubts persist over how popular such an appointment would be with the fanbase given the huge financial outlay from owner Farhad Moshiri since coming to the club in 2016, three years after the Scot's departure to Manchester United.
Despite being an untried proposition, Arteta's name has been touted with taking over at two of his former teams, Everton , and Arsenal, where fellow Spaniard Unai Emery remains under pressure.
The 37-year-old who is considered to be one of the most-gifted emerging coaches in the Premier League, is viewed by many as a more forward-thinking possibility than his old gaffer Moyes.
Reacting to the speculation, Guardiola , who was speaking in the pre-match press conference for Manchester City's Champions League game at home to Shakhtar Donetsk on Tuesday, admitted he might find it difficult to keep hold of a talent as bright as Arteta's.
He told reporters: “Mikel was a holding midfielder, he had incredible vision on the pitch.
“He’s an incredible human being, he has a great work ethic.
“I said after a few months of being together that he would be a manager one day.
“For sure he will be a manager. I would like him to stay with us as long as possible. But personal life is personal life, his professional desire is professional.”
