Report: Guardiola may offer Arteta coaching post at Manchester City

Pep Guardiola will reportedly consider offering a job to a fellow graduate of Barcelona's La Masia academy.

According to Tony Barrett of the London Times, Guardiola could offer Mikel Arteta a full-time coaching post at Manchester City if the Spanish midfielder decides to hang up his cleats at the end of the Premier League season. The two are apparently close friends, and Lorenzo Buenaventura, the player's long-serving fitness coach, recently visited the pair at Bayern Munich's training complex.

City confirmed at the beginning of February that Guardiola will succeed Manuel Pellegrini, and Arteta's contract at Arsenal expires at the end of the season.

Related: Manchester City confirms Guardiola will succeed Pellegrini at end of season

Arteta has only tallied 160 minutes of playing time in the Premier League this season, largely because of a recurring calf injury. He has allegedly used the recovery time to focus on taking his coaching badges and has picked up experience by working alongside Arsenal's under-13 side and Wales' under-16 side.

Back in October, Arsene Wenger encouraged Arteta to think about a future career as a coach, saying: "It would be great if someone like Mikel went into management, so somewhere the spirit of our game can survive through the players who have played for us."