Mikel Arteta is suffering from a chronic calf injury which has left him out of the playing grounds since November of 2015 but he is expected to make a return starting from January. However, even when he is able to get back into the pitch and play alongside his Arsenal teammates, the Spanish midfielder is already thinking about his future outside of the game as to what he is planning to accomplish when he decides to hang up his boots and everything is pointing towards seeing Arteta take up a coaching role in the Premier League club.
Ever since Arteta picked up his injury, he has been working with the Arsenal academy trying to earn his coaching badges.
Arsenal’s Arsene Wenger hinted out the possibility of Mikel Arteta joining the coaching staff of the club after the Spanish midfielder eventually decides to hang up his boots. The French manager stated that he doesn’t have any real need of adding more personal to his staff as he already have an entire team that does everything which is needed but Wenger is hoping to see Arteta get into the world of coaching as he has what it takes to do it.
“At the moment I don’t have a real need. Our average age is quite high on my staff, they are all good. I am happy with all my staff at the moment. But I think he can be a coach in the future yes and certainly here.”
‘’Mikel has a huge influence even when he is not playing. He is super conscientious, and every morning two hours before training he prepares and that is absolutely right. Just through his behavior, his focus on getting everything right in the team, he has a huge influence. He has great experience and is respected throughout the squad’’ Arsene Wenger said as he stated that Mikel Arteta is a figure who has a huge influence even when he isn’t in the pitch.
Arteta’s contract with Arsenal expires in the summer of 2016 and it’s not expected that he will be offered a renewal.