Arsenal have unveiled Unai Emery as their new head coach with chief executive Ivan Gazidis claiming the Spaniard was chosen after an extensive process.
Part of that process, he said, included an eight-man shortlist with each candidate interviewed for the role. Gazidis also stated that none of the candidates withdrew their interest at any point.
Thomas Tuchel, Lucien Favre and Joachim Low were initially thought to be among those considered but seeing as each of them committed themselves to other jobs prior to Emery’s announcement, they were perhaps never on the list.
Here, we look at eight candidates that may have been on the shortlist.
MIKEL ARTETA
The former Arsenal captain was a favourite for the job. Always known to possess a keen tactical understanding of the game as a player, he has been groomed under Pep Guardiola as part of his coaching staff at Premier League champions Manchester City.
Despite the respect and familiarity he would share with many of the members of the current squad, his inexperience always counted against him. It would’ve been a massive gamble though not just for the club but for Arteta as well whose fledgling career on the touchline could’ve taken a huge blow had things not gone well at Arsenal.
Mikel Arteta.
BRENDAN RODGERS
If it’s good football Arsenal fans want to keep seeing, Rodgers would’ve been the perfect appointment. The Northern Irish coach is known for guaranteeing an attractive brand of football, more so than anyone else on this list.
He was excellent as Liverpool manager, producing some spectacular football and taking them ever so close to a league title. Rodgers has since drove Celtic to even higher standards, winning the domestic treble this season and boasting a 70.83 per cent win rate.
Ultimately though, his failure to win any silverware in three years at Liverpool probably counted against him.
Brendan Rodgers.
MASSIMILIANO ALLEGRI
Many considered Allegri to be the perfect man to replace Wenger. The Italian has proved himself as a serial winner and was expected to bring that mentality to an Arsenal side that has a reputation for lacking in mental fortitude.
Allegri has won nine major trophies in four seasons at Juventus while also guiding them to two Champions League finals. There are reports though that he was keen on a major overhaul of the squad this summer, the extent of which the club were reluctant to fund.
Max Allegri.
PATRICK VIEIRA
Another former Arenal captain understood to have been in the mix was Patrick Vieira. The Frenchman is currently managing New York City FC and does have two years experience of coaching the Manchester City reserves as well.
In his case, though, his inexperience counts against him especially given the daunting task of following Wenger’s 22-year stay.
Patrick Vieira.
LUIS ENRIQUE
So grand was the level of success for Luis Enrique at Barcelona that he’s said to be the manager who came closest to matching Pep Guardiola’s achievements. The Spaniard won nine major trophies in his three-year spell at Camp Nou, including one Champions League.
He put together the famous ‘MSN’ attacking trio of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar and won the treble in his first season. His style was always a little unbalanced though, heavily favouring attack and neglecting the defensive aspects of the game.
Luis Enrique.
CARLO ANCELOTTI
The former Chelsea manager was already proven in the Premier League and would’ve been the safe choice. He’s proved to have a steady hand, taking over a Real Madrid side reeling after letting go of Jose Mourinho and winning an historic 10th Champions League.
However, following a successive spell at PSG as well, Ancelotti’s stock has dropped since his failure to deliver in Europe with Bayern Munich.
Carlo Ancelotti.
LEONARDO JARDIM
Leonardo Jardim is the man responsible for AS Monaco’s incredible campaign last season. A talented young side that included breakout starts Kylian Mbappe, Thomas Lemar and Tiemoue Bakayoko stormed to the Ligue 1 title ahead of PSG.
The 43-year-old is renowned for his attacking football but after seeing most of his star players poached last summer, has been unable to maintain standards at Monaco.
Leonardo Jardim.
UNAI EMERY
Sacked by PSG, Emery wasn’t everyone’s choice for the job. However, the 46-year-old is nothing if not meticulous and reports suggest that his presentation during his interview is what tipped the scales in his favour.
Emery is renowned for his detailed analysis and it is understood that his extensive knowledge of every Arsenal player and thoughts on how he would improve them as individual and as a teams is what blew away the hiring committee.
Unai Emery.
