According to reports from The Daily Mail, Arsenal captain Mikel Arteta is considering offers to join the coaching staff at Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur.

The Spaniard has registered 148 appearances across all competitions for the Gunners, captaining them since Thomas Vermaelen's move to Barcelona in summer 2014.

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But after finding a goal from the bench against Aston Villa yesterday afternoon, the 34-year-old exploded into tears upon the final whistle.

Arteta's Emirates contract expires at the end of the season and having struggled with continuous injury problems in recent campaigns, he now looks set to hang up his boots and move into coaching.

As quoted by The Daily Mail, the veteran playmaker told reporters after yesterday's game; "I am going to leave (it open) by one per cent because in football one per cent is a lot and things can twist very quickly.

"But I have different options now to be related to football which I am very grateful for. It is very unusual to have opportunities at this level.

"As well, that made me think it was probably time (to retire) and the way I have been watching football in the last few months - or probably over a year - it was not as a player, it was more as a coach. Then you have to think about it."

According to the British newspaper, Arteta has three options to kick-start his coaching career. He could join the staff at Arsenal, join Pep Guardiola at Manchester City or controversially switch allegiances to north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur.

He said; "I don't want to say clubs but I have three very different options and I am very proud because it is not common.

"I have so much respect for this club, what they think about me and what they have shown in the last few weeks that they want to do with me, that I cannot talk about any other things."

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