Emery emerges as surprise choice to succeed Wenger

Arsenal are set to appoint Unai Emery as Arsene Wenger’s successor, according to reports.

The 46-year-old left French side Paris St Germain at the end of this campaign after a two-year stint during which he won one Ligue 1 title and four domestic cups, having led Sevilla to three successive Europa League trophies prior to that.

The Gunners are seeking their first boss since hiring Wenger in 1996 and it is reported that Emery has emerged as their first choice, with an announcement expected later this week.

Former Arsenal midfielder Mikel Arteta, currently part of Pep Guardiola’s backroom team at Manchester City, had been heavily rumoured to be the leading candidate and Wenger said last week the Spaniard “has all the qualities to do the job”.

Arteta, Luis Enrique and Juventus’ Massimiliano Allegri were among those strongly linked to the role and Emery was only seen as an outside bet.

Ian Wright, who scored 185 goals in 288 appearances for Arsenal, has accused the club’s hierarchy of being indecisive.

“It’s like they’re at the sushi shop,” he said.

“You know the stuff that’s just going past? Yeah, I’ll have that. I’ll take that. I’ll leave them ones. No, I’ll take that one now.

“What’s going on at Arsenal? Where’s Unai Emery come from?

“I can’t get it out of my head. You’d have thought that by now they would have known exactly what’s going on.

“Good luck to him if he comes in and gets it. I’ll back him. The fact is you just want people upstairs to be decisive with what they’re doing,” said Wright.

“I think they’ve had the time. This is the problem I’ve got.”