Arsenal to unveil former PSG boss Unai Emery as their new manager after he mesmerises board with presentation

ARSENAL are due to unveil former Paris Saint Germain (PSG) manager head coach Unai Emery as their new manager this week after he successfully wooed the club's board of directors with his plans for the future.

At the end of last season, Arsenal's long time manager Arsene Wenger announced he would be leaving the club, sparking off the search for a replacement. Among the candidates the Arsenal board considered were Manchester City assistant manager and ex-Gunners captain Mikel Arteta, as well as the club's highest ever goal scorer and former captain Thierry Henry, currently the Belgian assistant manager.

It now appears that Mr Emery, 46, emerged as the unanimous choice following a recruitment process in which all candidates were spoken to. A Spaniard, Mr Emery became available after leaving PSG at the end of the season where he won one Ligue One title and four domestic cups in two seasons in charge.

Previously he guided Sevilla to three consecutive Europa League triumphs between 2014 and 2016 and is considered meticulous, experienced and successful. Despite the fact that Mr Emery's English is not completely fluent, the language barrier is not expected to be a problem.

Other candidates the Arsenal board had considered included Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri and former Chelsea and Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti, as well as former players Arteta, Henry and Patrick Vieira.Their recruitment process was led by chief executive Ivan Gazidis, the head of football relations Raul Sanllehi and head of recruitment Sven Mislintat, although the final decision would be down to majority shareholder Stan Kroenke.

Wenger, 68, left the Gunners at the end of season after 22 years in charge, during which he won three Premier League titles and seven FA Cups, including two doubles. His replacement, Mr Emery has already has told Arsenal chiefs that he plans to build his team around midfielder Aaron Ramsey and striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

About two weeks ago, Mr Emery delivered a presentation to Arsenal’s hierarchy which included an in-depth analysis of every player at the club. Apparently Arsenal chief executive, Ivan Gazidis and his recruitment team were left gobsmacked by his attention to detail and his forensic knowledge of the squad.

One club source said: “He knew more about the Arsenal squad and every relevant detail about their career path and injury histories than people who had been at the club for years. They’d no idea where he had gathered his information from but they were mesmerised by the vision he put before them.”