Shock as Arsenal turn to Emery
Gunners to appoint former PSG coach after club’s decision-makers go cold on Arteta gamble
Arsenal are preparing to unveil Unai Emery as Arsene Wenger’s successor after backing away from the gamble of giving former captain Mikel Arteta his first managerial job. In an extraordinary twist yesterday, Emery’s experience with Sevilla and Paris St-germain ensured that he won over Arsenal’s decision-makers and formal confirmation of his appointment is expected in the next 48 hours.
Despite having no managerial experience, Arteta had been poised to replace Wenger after getting to know chief executive Ivan Gazidis during his six years at Arsenal as a player and then winning rave reviews for his training-ground work as Pep Guardiola’s No2 at Manchester City.
Arteta had excelled during an interview with Arsenal and then further talks last week and was keen on taking the job.
Gazidis, though, may have experienced cold feet over potentially risking his own reputation by going through with a move for Arteta, 36.
Emery, whose contract at PSG was not renewed at the end of the season, made a late play for the job and was well known for his work in Spain to Arsenal’s new head of football relations, Raul Sanllehi, who was previously Barcelona’s director of football. A priority for Emery, 46, will be to improve his command of the English language.
Arsenal have been intending to make an announcement on Wenger’s successor this week and are adamant that, after what they regard as a thorough and efficient process, they have settled on the outstanding all-round candidate.
Another former captain, Patrick Vieira, was also interviewed, while Juventus manager Max Allegri and Hoffenheim’s Julian Nagelsmann were both considered but indicated a desire to stay at their clubs. Former Barcelona manager Luis Enrique was another early option.
Emery has far more experience than Arteta or Vieira, having managed six clubs in three countries across almost 800 games during 13 years as a coach. He especially excelled at Sevilla, where he won the Europa League for three successive seasons between 2014 and 2016.
He missed out on the Ligue 1 title to Monaco in his first season as PSG manager but, boosted by the worldrecord signing of Neymar, did win a domestic treble this campaign.
Emery’s performances in the Champions League, however, were ultimately not deemed good enough and that cost him an extension to his contract. PSG have been beaten at the last-16 stage by Real Madrid and then Barcelona over the past two seasons. They lost against Madrid this year, despite having assembled the most expensive team in history, and to Barcelona, even after a four-goal first-leg lead.
Manchester City will certainly be relieved to see Arsenal turn their attention to Emery, as, despite insisting they would not stand in Arteta’s way, Guardiola was desperate to keep the former Everton midfielder by his side at City.
Mauricio Pochettino had previously also wanted Arteta to work with him at Tottenham, while Arsenal had tried to get him to stay on as a coach when he retired after six years as a player with them in 2012.
The dramatic developments unfolded yesterday just as the departing Wenger was making his last visit to the club’s London Colney training base to collect his belongings after 22 years as manager.
Wenger has been offered the chance to work himself at PSG as the general manager alongside new head coach Thomas Tuchel but is still minded to remain in frontline management.
“He is a close friend, I have a lot of admiration and respect for him and everything he has done,” PSG president Nasser Al-khelaifi said of Wenger. “He’s a big man. This is one of the first people I spoke to before buying the club, and he told me one thing that I never forgot: ‘You buy a diamond and it will be cut and shined’. I do not know what he will do, but he will have a lot offers. To- day, the sports director [of PSG] is Antero Henrique and he will stay.” Santi Cazorla, meanwhile, will also now leave Arsenal after joining from Malaga in 2012. He made 180 appearances in that time, scoring 29 goals and helping Arsenal to win two FA
Cups, but has not played since October 2016 following a severe Achilles tendon injury.
“I am very sad to be leaving after so many good times,” said Cazorla. “I have loved my time and I will always remember the special times we had together. I am proud to be part of this club’s history. I will miss you a lot.”
Cazorla has been trying to make a comeback following an injury nightmare that has included eight operations, an ankle skin graft from where his daughter’s name was tattooed on his arm, and a blood infection that caused him to lose eight centimetres of his tendon. There were even fears that his right leg would have to be amputated.