Mikel Arteta has been appointed Arsenal’s new head coach, the Premier League club have announced.
The 37-year-old has signed a three-and-a-half year deal and will take charge on Sunday, after the club play one of his former sides Everton on Saturday lunchtime.
Arteta told the Arsenal website: “This is a huge honour. Arsenal is one of the biggest clubs in the world. We need to be competing for the top trophies in the game and that’s been made very clear to me in my discussions with Stan and Josh Kroenke, and the senior people from the club.
“We all know there is a lot of work to be done to achieve that but I am confident we’ll do it. I’m realistic enough to know it won’t happen overnight but the current squad has plenty of talent and there is a great pipeline of young players coming through from the academy.”
The Spaniard joins the club having previously served as a coach at Manchester City under Pep Guardiola.
The Gunners had been without a permanent manager since the sacking of Unai Emery in November.
Welcome back, Mikel! ?
Head coach of The Arsenal ? pic.twitter.com/lhsAfQ7cfq
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) December 20, 2019
Arteta won the FA Cup twice in his five years at Arsenal as a player, retiring with the London club in 2016.
Arteta made 50 appearances for Rangers between 2002 and 2004, and spent six years at Everton.
Arsenal currently sit 10th in the Premier League with 22 points.
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