By Brian Bariyo Tumuramye
Mikel Arteta is the leading candidate likely to become Arsenal’s next manager; Arsenal hierarchy is believed to be considering up to 10 candidates
Gunners chief executive Vinai Venkatesham and the club’s lawyer Huss Fahmy were photographed leaving Arteta’s home around 1:2Am, following a reported two-and-a-half-hour meeting.
Manchester City will ask Arteta to clarify his future after Arsenal officials were photographed leaving his Manchester home in the early hours of Monday morning.
Arsenal are expected to appoint a new manager before the end of the month with City assistant boss Arteta firmly established as one of the leading candidates.
Even before Sunday night’s meeting was revealed, City officials had decided to ask Arteta to help them end three weeks of speculation linking him as the favourite to replace Unai Emery at the Emirates.
Following the manner of Sunday’s 3-0 defeat by Manchester City, Arsenal have made it clear that action is required to halt a dramatic decline which could see the club missing out on a top-four finish for the fourth season in a row.
Arsenal is preparing to interview Mikel Arteta for the final time on Tuesday morning (AEDT) before giving him the reins as manager.
The Daily Mail claims the Spaniard has a meeting planned with non-executive director Josh Kroenke following Unai Emery’s sacking last month.
Arteta met with Gunners bosses late on Sunday night following his Manchester City side’s 3-0 demolition of Arsenal that day.
Managing director Vinai Venkatesham and Gunners lawyer Huss Fahmy were spotted leaving the former midfielder’s house at 1am having spent two hours negotiating his arrival.
Bookies have suspended betting on Arteta taking over from interim boss Freddie Ljungberg with rival candidate Carlo Ancelotti off to Everton.
Now Kroenke, son of Arsenal owner Stan, will cast the final eye over the prospective new manager before green lighting his appointment.
After the game between Arsenal and City on Monday morning, Pep Guardiola called his assistant an “important part” of the Premier League holders’ setup.
But he admitted “if it happens, it will happen” over Arteta holding ambitions to leave.
It has been widely reported that the ex-Gooner wanted the job Arsene Wenger vacated 18 months ago – snapped up by Emery under the orders of now-departed chief executive Ivan Gazidis and it was reported earlier in the month that Guardiola was already eyeing former colleague Domenec Torrent as his new No2 should Arteta go.
