Arsenal held talks with Mauricio Pochettino about becoming their next manager before appointing Mikel Arteta in 2019, with the current Gunners boss getting the nod ahead of seven other candidates.
Search for Emery's successor
The north London club were in a difficult position in autumn 2019 when they sacked Unai Emery, just over a year after he had been chosen to replace Arsene Wenger. The dismissal left the Emirates hierarchy again looking for a new manager.
Among the men on their radar was Pochettino, who had been sacked by Tottenham 10 days before Emery was dismissed. The Argentine enjoyed a largely upward trajectory at Tottenham, securing several high-profile wins over Arsenal, and the Telegraph reported he showed a willingness to talk with the Gunners.
Candidates considered
A move across north London, particularly so soon after leaving Tottenham, would have damaged his reputation with his former club, but ultimately nothing came of the discussions. Arsenal did consider a number of managers who had already proven themselves in Europe, some having won multiple Champions League titles.
That list included Carlo Ancelotti. His compatriot Massimiliano Allegri was also considered, having just won his fifth consecutive Serie A title with Juventus and being seen as a ready-made manager.
Several younger candidates were also shortlisted, Julian Nagelsmann among them. The German had then just taken over at RB Leipzig. Patrick Vieira was also part of conversations as the Arsenal hierarchy considered several former players. He was then in charge of Nice in his native France, with his promising reputation eventually seeing him take over at Crystal Palace. Vieira was a former team-mate of Edu, who was then in a position of influence when it came to determining the next Arsenal manager.
Arteta gets the nod
Another Spaniard, Roberto Martinez, advanced in the process but never landed the job. He had Premier League experience having coached Wigan and Everton but at that moment was leading Belgium. Portuguese coach Vitor Pereira, who later went on to manage Wolves and Nottingham Forest, was also among their initial list.
Arteta would ultimately get the nod, despite having no managerial experience. His tutorship had been his time as Manchester City's No.2 under Pep Guardiola, but Arsenal's choice, investment and subsequent patience has paid off.
