Mikel Arteta decided to accept Arsenal's offer after failing to receive assurances from Manchester City that he would succeed Pep Guardiola.

The Mirror says Arteta, as Guardiola's No.2, believed that he would be the natural choice to take over from the Catalan when he eventually leaves the Etihad after spending the last three years on City's backroom staff.

But when Giovanni van Bronckhorst had been given an access-all-areas role at the club as the Premier League champions began to prepare for life after Guardiola, the 37-year-old Spaniard asked City bosses for guarantees that he was next in line.

He was disappointed to be told that no such promises would be made.