Arsenal’s four managerial candidates before Arteta and where they are now
Nobody knew what to expect when novice Mikel Arteta was appointed as Arsenal manager in December 2019.
After sacking Unai Emery and giving Freddie Ljungberg a chance as interim manager, the Gunners created a shortlist of managers before Arteta impressed them enough in his interview to land the position.
His first managerial job has undoubtedly been a tricky one characterised by mid-table finishes, re-building and selling deadwood players, though he still managed to win an FA Cup trophy in his first season.
And with Arteta now leading the Gunners to what seems like the beginning of a new dawn at the Emirates, Daily Star Sport takes a look at the other candidates Arsenal considered before appointing the Spaniard and where they are now.
Mauricio Pochettino
The Argentine was always going to be difficult to land, having only left bitter rivals Tottenham a month earlier.
But his sacking gave Arsenal fans some hope that he would exact revenge on the club by channelling Sol Campbell’s famous “I’m staying” moment.
Pochettino took charge of French giants Paris Saint-Germain at the beginning of 2021 where he has largely failed to meet the club’s objectives.
He failed to win Ligue 1 last season and only managed to reach the semi-finals of the Champions League despite possessing one of the strongest sides in the competition.
However, PSG this season have stormed the French league and are ten points clear at the top as Pochettino tries to manage huge personalities like Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe, though there are rumours that he could take over from Ole Gunner Solskjaer at Man United.
Max Allegri
The six-time Scudetto-winning Italian was one of the more prominent managers linked with the Arsenal job back in 2019 following his departure from Juventus earlier that summer.
His defensive style and success in a specialised system drew complaints from Arsenal fans but Allegri was undoubtedly the most qualified candidate to take over as boss.
He ended up enjoying a brief break from management before Mauricio Sarri and Andrea Pirlo’s underwhelming Juventus stints saw him return to the club this summer.
The Bianconeri are currently in a rebuilding phase as Allegri struggles with his side down in eighth in Serie A.
Yet, if anyone could grind out results and organise a lacklustre Juve side, it would be the man who won five league titles in a row with the Turin club.
Patrick Vieira
Do you think Patrick Vieira would have been a better option to led Arsenal than Arteta? Let us know in the comments section.
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The legendary Arsenal captain was reportedly snubbed twice by the club, once when they appointed Emery and the other when he was beaten to the post by Arteta.
His experience at the time was limited to managing New York City FC and a struggling Nice side, where he was eventually sacked in December 2020.
But Vieira has undoubtedly been a revelation at Crystal Palace this season after taking over from Roy Hodgson.
The Frenchman has implemented an expansive attacking philosophy three months into his tenure in south London as Palace’s promising array of attackers lead the charge.
Vieira may well be next-in-line as Arsenal manager should things not work out for the current boss.
Brendan Rodgers
Rodgers’ achievements at Leicester have been nothing short of remarkable since taking over in 2019.
The Scot’s ability to get the best out of players like Wilfred Ndidi, Youri Tielemans and an ageing Johnny Evans caught the Gunners’ attention in 2019.
But Rodgers eventually signed a whopping five-and-a-half-year contract to remain at the King Power the same month Arteta was appointed.
He went on to exceed expectations by finishing fifth in the league, both in the 2019/20 season and 2020/21.
Success this campaign has been slightly harder to come by for the manager as Leicester struggle for form in 12th place.
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