Unai Emery is fighting a losing battle to save his Arsenal job with club staff expecting him to be sacked imminently.
The Spaniard has presided over a disastrous run of form which has seen Arsenal win just four of their 13 Premier League fixtures this term, following on from last season’s late collapse which culminated in a humiliating 4-1 defeat in the Europa League final against Chelsea.
Arsenal’s current predicament has prompted speculation that a number of the club’s most high-profile players could look to leave and, in Lucas Torreira’s case, as early as January while little or no progress has been made on extending the contracts of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette.
According to Goal, club employees now believe it is a matter of when and not if the former PSG coach will be given his marching orders with one source saying: ‘It’s about results and we are not getting them.
‘It just feels like a matter of time. It’s not like the club is on its knees or anything. The mood is still pretty good, but you are now just waiting to be told the news.’
The Daily Mail claimed Emery held talks with Arsenal suits Edu and Raul Sanllehi in the tunnel area in the immediate aftermath of Saturday’s dispiriting draw against Southampton, during which Lacazette scored a 96th minute equaliser against the division’s second bottom club which was greeted with muted celebrations.
Head of Football Sanllehi is already in the process of sounding out potential replacements with the likes of Max Allegri and Mikel Arteta, who came close to succeeding Arsene Wenger before Emery’s appointment, in the frame while Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo jumped to the head of the betting markets on Tuesday.
After his shock departure from Tottenham, meanwhile, Mauricio Pochettino is available and despite his connection with their local rivals, Paul Merson believes Arsenal should be doing everything to convince the Argentine to move to the Emirates.
‘Arsenal should go for Mauricio Pochettino,’ Merson told Sky Sports. ‘He’s not won anything, but he improved Tottenham over five years, tenfold.
‘He’s a top manager and he is about at the moment. I know he managed at Tottenham, but George Graham had been at Arsenal when he went the other way.
‘You’ve got to get past that sort of stuff. These top managers don’t come along too often, where you don’t even have to pay anything for them.
‘Can I see it happening? No. Should it happen? Yes. But it won’t happen.’
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