Waiting For The End Of The Arsenal Coach Hunt Story

Miker Arteta (Twitter @WorldwideAFC)

JAKARTA - Arsenal's hunt for a new permanent coach is nearing the end. Mikel Arteta holds the pole position to replace Unai Emery after the former Gunners player met with two club officials; Vinai Venkatesham and Huss Fahmy.

It has been almost three weeks since Emery left his position at the Emirates. Interim replacement, Freddie Ljungberg has only managed one win in five games in all competitions since the Spaniard left the club.

Last summer, Arteta became a target for Arsenal who had just left Arsene Wenger. Now, realizing their choice of Emery was a mistake, the Bullet Arsenal club have returned to turning their eyes on their former captain.

Referring to The Athletic, Arteta is the most favorite to land a major job at the Emirates. However, other big names such as Carlo Ancelotti, Mauricio Pochettino and Patrick Vieira are also considered by the club. Together with the Belgian manager, Roberto Martinez.

The report claims the 'The Gunners' hierarchy will assign a final list of two or three names to Arsenal's owner's holding company, Kroenke Sports & Entertainment before a final decision is made. However, currently, they have full confidence in Ljungberg to head the team as the recruitment process continues.

Latest News on Niko Kovac and Marcelino

According to Goal, former Bayern Munich coach Niko Kovac has told Arsenal he is interested in replacing Emery as head coach.

The Croatian man will attend the Premier League match between 'The Gunners' and West Ham on Monday evening, but according to those around Kovac the news is not true. As reported by the German news agency DPA which reads: "Nonsense, Niko is not interested (in coaching the English club) at the moment, he wants to take time off."

Meanwhile, referring to ESPN, former Valencia coach Marcelino has been in talks with Arsenal regarding the position of coach. He was very open to accepting the job if offered.

However, Marcelino's lack of understanding of English made the club doubtful. Moreover, reflecting on Emery's difficulty communicating with his players. For that, Arsenal's board is likely to really turn to Arteta.

The report also claims, Marcelino has given an assessment of Arsenal's squad and believes 'The Gunners' have a strong attack. But, in general, it is an unbalanced team.

Apart from the names above, there are also the names Paulo Sousa, Carlo Ancelotti, Vitor Pereira, and Nuno Espirito Santo. But Arteta is more than ready to take a job at Emirates than anyone else on the roster.

According to The Mail, Josh Kroenke - son of the club owner, Stan - will meet Arteta for a final interview before being appointed as Arsenal coach. Arteta must be able to make an impression on Kroenke before his move is legalized.

The report claims, as part of negotiations, Arteta also discussed what staff he would bring in, as well as potential players Arsenal could target in January. So far, Rodolfo Borrell and former Manchester City assistant coach Domènec Torrent are the favorites to join Arteta's coaching staff.

Furthermore, The Mirror claims, Arteta will sign a contract duration of three and a half years at the Emirates Stadium. The deal will be formalized within the next 48 hours.