Manchester City assistant manager Mikel Arteta is in the frame for the Newcastle job, according to Daily Mail journalist Craig Hope.
The Magpies are looking for a new boss after owner Mike Ashley and Rafael Benitez could not reach an agreement over an extension to the Spaniard’s contract.
Speaking on talkSPORT‘s Hawksbee and Jacobs programme [Tuesday, 1:20pm], Hope claimed that it would “make a lot of sense” for former Arsenal man Arteta, 37, to move to Tyneside.
“It’s a difficult one at the moment because as of yesterday Newcastle United didn’t have a shortlist themselves, so I’m not going on any great information at the moment,” the journalist said.
“But one name which has been put to me is that of Mikel Arteta. I think if they were going down a head coach route then I think that would make a lot of sense.
“He’s obviously shown ambition to give it a go on his own and he was very close to the Arsenal job last year. And there’s a Spanish link in that a fair few of the players are Spanish, notably Ayoze Perez.”
OPINION
This is a very interesting shout from Hope and one that could well come to fruition. The fact is, Arteta – since retiring – has been learning his trade from one of the best managers in the business in Pep Guardiola. And after three seasons of working at the Etihad and having gained invaluable skills and tips from the City boss, now would be an excellent time to go and prove himself as a head coach. Newcastle are in need of a gutsy manager who will not be afraid to try to take the club forward. And Arteta fits this profile exactly, since he is young and will have fresh ideas on how he would want to manage the team. Yes, appointing a manager who has no previous experience as a head coach would be a risk, but any move right now is going to be a risk. Keeping Benitez would have been the safest option, but now that he has gone, the club have to gamble.
