Saturday’s briefing: Guardiola and Arteta address futures as title race hots up

Pep Guardiola and Mikel Arteta have taken time out from the Premier League title race to address their futures.

Meanwhile, Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim shrugged off talk of a rift with Kobbie Mainoo.

Guardiola says he is going nowhere

Guardiola is planning to be at Manchester City next season and insists the possibility of him leaving in the summer is “not on the table right now”.

Reports have emerged suggesting City are making contingency plans – with Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca a potential replacement – ​​should Guardiola decide to stand down as City manager at the end of the campaign.

But Guardiola, who will have served 10 years at the Etihad Stadium by next summer, is contracted until the end of the 2026-27 term and has said nothing to indicate he could cut short his tenure.

The 54-year-old said: “The last three or four years, every time during a certain period someone asks me that question.

“Sooner or later, when I’m 75 or 76, I will leave Manchester City!

“I understand the question when I have the end of a contract (coming) but I have 18 months left and I am so delighted and happy and excited about the development of the team and being there. That is all I can say.”

Arteta: I need to earn extended Arsenal stay

Arteta says he can envisage life at Arsenal beyond his current 18-month deal but insists he must “earn the right” to get another contract extension.

He will celebrate his six-year anniversary on Saturday when Premier League leaders Arsenal travel to Everton.

The 43-year-old has taken the club from mid-table to regular title challengers but, with his current terms set to expire in the summer of 2027, Arteta was quizzed about his future.

Asked if he could stay beyond his 18-month contract, Arteta said: “Yes, but it is about today and a lot of things have to happen in the next few months, as well, to earn the right.

“I think the manager has to earn the right to be here tomorrow. That is how you react, how you talk here, how you go in the dressing room, the message that you send, how much the players follow you.”

Amorim not shirty with Mainoo

Amorim says there is no problem with Mainoo after his half-brother’s t-shirt stunt and hopes the midfielder fights for his future at Manchester United.

The homegrown 20-year-old has gone from FA Cup final hero and starting the Euro 2024 final for England to a bench player over the last 18 months.

He came off the bench in Monday’s 4-4 draw with Bournemouth at Old Trafford, where his half-brother Jordan Mainoo-Hames wore a ‘Free Kobbie Mainoo’ top and later posted about it on social media.

Asked if he spoke to Mainoo about the incident, boss Amorim laughed and then said: “No, it was not Kobbie that wore the t-shirt.

“He is not going to start because of the t-shirt, but he is not going to the bench because of the t-shirt. He is going to play if we feel that he is the right guy to play. That is not an issue.

“I am used to (it). I am here for a year. It’s not new, so we have to deal with that, but I am not going to do something to Kobbie because someone in his family is doing something.”

Slot draws line under Salah saga

Arne Slot feels Liverpool have “moved on” from the Mohamed Salah controversy and hopes the player’s Africa Cup of Nations involvement takes further heat out of the situation.

Salah sparked crisis at the club with an explosive interview a fortnight ago and was consequently dropped for a Champions League game at Inter Milan but, after talks with manager Slot, returned as a substitute in last week’s Premier League victory over Brighton.

The 33-year-old is now on international duty, for potentially up to another month, with Egypt.

Slot said: “As I said last week, actions spoke louder than words and we moved on. He was in the squad and he was the first substitution I made.

“But now he is at the AFCON, playing big games for himself and the country, so I think it is fair to them, and also to us because we are going to play some important games, that all the focus is for him over there and there should not be any distraction from me saying things about his time at Liverpool.

“We moved on after the Leeds interview and he played against Brighton. Now he is there, so it is fair for his country, and for him and us, to talk about Tottenham and other games.”

What’s on today?

Tottenham host Liverpool in the Premier League in what could be a crunch match for under-pressure Spurs boss Thomas Frank.

Manchester City could close the gap on Arsenal by beating struggling West Ham before the Gunners travel to Everton for the 8pm kick-off.

At the bottom, Wolves will be hunting a first win of the season when they host Brentford.