London, May 22(TNS): English Premier League Club, Arsenal are set to appoint the former Paris Saint-Germain and three-time Europa League winning manager Unai Emery, as the man to replace Arsene Wenger.
After a thorough process, the Emirates hierarchy decided that Emery’s vast experience was key, and meant he would be offered the job ahead of former Arsenal player Mikel Arteta.
While Arteta who was part of the coaching staff alongside Pep Guardiola this season with Champions Manchester City, greatly impressed in interviews, and sources say he ticked many of the boxes, the fact this would have been the Manchester City coach’s first managerial job also weighed on the Arsenal decision maker’s minds. Arteta is understood to have been told on Monday that they were going with Emery, with the news also spreading to many Arsenal players.
Emery, 46, departed PSG this summer after the club opted not to renew his contract following a two-year spell, instead appointing Thomas Tuchel as his successor.
Emery has been pushing for the Arsenal job since leaving PSG and met club officials earlier this month to hold preliminary talks about the possibility of taking over at the Emirates.
Arsenal CEO Ivan Gazidis has been determined to complete as thorough a process as possible in the manager search, even while continuing talks with Arteta, and he has been persuaded by Emery given his pedigree. The club is conscious of the supporters’ reaction to any sort of appointment, and how relevant Arteta’s lack of experience is in that regard.
The older manager’s experience – having been so successful in winning knockout trophies at Sevilla, and then a title at PSG is said to have been key.
It was also felt that Emery might better suit the parameters of the role defined by the club.
