Arsenal face a big battle with Everton to land former player Mikel Arteta as their new manager this summer.
The 35-year-old assistant coach in Pep Guardiola’s successful Manchester City management team has made a huge impression on the two Premier League clubs he played for.
Now the Spaniard is being talked of at the Emirates and Goodison Park as a potential successor to Arsene Wenger at Arsenal and Sam Allardyce at Everton.
Sunday Mirror Sport first revealed that the Gunners can cut short Wenger’s two-year deal in the summer if they fancy a change of manager for the first time in 22 years.
That scenario is becoming more likely with a once-dominant team falling apart at the seams – and Arteta’s work at the Etihad alongside Guardiola has been noted by the Arsenal hierarchy.
Wenger himself would back Arteta to succeed him, especially if it meant the Frenchman staying on in a consultancy role.
But Arsenal’s plans could be under threat if Everton decide to cave in to pressure from many Goodison fans and replace the under-fire Allardyce at the end of the season.
Big Sam signed an 18-month deal after succeeding the sacked Ronald Koeman at the end of November but has yet to win over the Blues’ faithful with his style of football.
Yesterday his side lost again, at Burnley, and if Everton act then chairman Bill Kenwright will try to persuade owner Farhad Moshiri to go for Arteta.
Although lacking experience, Arteta is backed by Guardiola to prove himself as a bright young head coach given the opportunity. At the Emirates Josh Kroenke, son of major shareholder Stan Kroenke, is having a greater say in boardroom decisions and favours replacing Wenger with an ex-Arsenal player.
In addition to the support for Arteta, he would like legendary Gunner Thierry Henry to be involved in talks over Wenger’s successor.
For now, Wenger is battling on. He was well aware last year that the speculation which surrounded his future before he signed his new deal had an impact on his players’ focus and he made it clear then that he did not want a repeat of that situation.
However, that is exactly where the club are heading on the back of some abject performances.
But after Thursday’s defeat by City he called for a sense of perspective. He said: “At the moment, we’ve lost the cup final and we lost a big championship game.
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“I am trying to find solutions where the team feels comfortable and confident. At the moment it’s difficult.
“But you have as well to take a little bit of perspective and think, ‘We played against a team that is not only top quality but in full confidence at the moment’.”
Arsenal, who face Brighton today, will surely not qualify for the Champions League via the top four.
Winning the Europa League remains Arsenal’s only hope of Champions League football next season.
But next up, in the last 16 of the Europa, is an AC Milan side who are unbeaten in 12.