It’s no secret that Arsenal’s search for a permanent coach has dragged on for more than necessary. Since sacking Unai Emery nearly a month ago, Freddie Ljungberg has been at the helm but in a caretaker position, with the club appointing no coaching staff to help him besides youth academy manager Per Mertesacker.
However, an appointment appears inevitable now, with Mikel Arteta emerging as the frontrunner to succeed Emery. The Spaniard has long been linked with the job, with the rumors dating back to 2018 when Arsene Wenger stepped down, but the speculation was shot into overdrive after two Arsenal figures were seen emerging out of the Man City assistant’s house recently.
Those two figures were managing director Vinai Venkatesham and chief contract negotiator Huss Fahmy. The fact that it was these two that made the trip to Arteta’s house in Cheshire yesterday morning show that talks are in the advanced stages.
According to the Sun, the former Gunners and Everton midfielder will meet Josh Kroenke, the son of club owner Stan Kroenke, today for a final interview. They add that he could be unveiled as the new boss at the Emirates Stadium boss this week and could pocket $6.6M per year.
However, the north London giants have angered Man City with their approach. The higher-ups were left upset over not being made aware. The Citizens made the trip to the Emirates Stadium on Sunday in their 3-0 win over Arsenal, with chief executive Ferran Soriano, director of football Txiki Begiristain and chief operating officer Omar Berrada all being present at the directors’ box. Despite this, none of the Arsenal chiefs informed the Premier League champions of their intentions. As a result, Man City are expected to demand compensation.
Then there are the fans who fear Arteta, having never been a head coach, is too inexperienced to take over a club in huge crisis such as Arsenal. Ancelotti was an option but the Italian is reportedly headed to Everton, making Arsenal’s move for Mikel all the more riskier.
