Report: Arteta agrees to 3.5-year deal to become Arsenal manager

Arsenal's managerial search appears to be over.

Manchester City assistant Mikel Arteta has agreed to become the Gunners' new bench boss, and he'll sign a three-and-a-half-year contract with the club, sources told Julien Laurens of ESPN.

Arsenal hope to make the move official on Thursday, with Saturday's match against Everton slated to be the Spaniard's first game in charge, Laurens adds. Arteta, who finished his playing career with Arsenal in 2016, previously spent six years at Goodison Park.

Manchester City were unimpressed with the way Arsenal went about their business, according to reports on Wednesday. No formal contact has been made between the two clubs, but the deal is expected to be finalized nonetheless.

Arteta, who will replace interim coach Freddie Ljungberg on the Arsenal bench, has been in talks with his former team since Sunday. The north London outfit has been searching for a permanent option on the touchline since firing Unai Emery last month.

Arteta, 37, will be embarking on his first adventure as a manager after being an assistant under Pep Guardiola with City since 2016. He's expected to retain Ljungberg on his staff, according to Laurens.