Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has reportedly identified former midfielder Mikel Arteta as the leading candidate to takeover the managerial reigns in the future.
The 68-year-old has come under immense pressure to quit after back-to-back defeats to Manchester City, which have since been followed with a 2-1 loss to Brighton & Hove Albion on the road.
According to The Mirror, Wenger has lined up Arteta as the ideal person to succeed him once his contract expires at the Emirates in the summer of 2019.
Arteta, who is currently part of Manchester City’s coaching staff, has been taking plenty of information from manager Pep Guardiola, and his development under the Catalan tactician has not gone as unnoticed within the Arsenal ranks.
Nonetheless, it appears that they may face additional competition from Everton, who have been urged by their fans to replace Sam Allardyce with Arteta, who spent six seasons at Goodison Park.
The defeat at Brighton saw the Gunners lose their first four away league games for the first time since 1925, and as a result, they have attained just 13 points in 15 top-flight matches on the road this term.
Wenger’s position could perhaps be re-evaluated at the end of the season, but the focus for now will be on returning to winning ways after a rather dismal run since February which has included just one victory in the Europa League versus Ostersund.
Arsenal’s chances of claiming a top-four spot are pretty much over with a 13-point deficit to Tottenham Hotspur with just nine games left, and the chance to reach the Champions League may entirely lie on lifting the Europa League crown.
The Gunners face an in-form AC Milan side on the road in the first-leg of their Europa League round of 16 tie on Thursday night, and one can just hope that the players turn up after a rather dismal defensive performance on the south Coast.
