Arsenal

Arsenal 'to accelerate Mikel Arteta appointment'

By Barney Corkhill, Editor | 16 May 2018

Arsenal 'to accelerate Arteta appointment'

Arsenal are reportedly planning to accelerate their appointment of Mikel Arteta as Arsene Wenger's successor after seeing a number of other candidates drop out.

Arsenal are reportedly hoping to speed up the appointment of Mikel Arteta as Arsene Wenger's successor due to seeing a number of other candidates drop out of the running.

The Gunners are understood to have interviewed all of their main targets to replace the long-serving Frenchman, who will step down after 22 years at the helm this summer.

Arsenal have reportedly whittled their search down to two targets - Arteta and Julian Nagelsmann - but Hoffenheim have since rejected the possibility of the latter leaving the club.

Massimiliano Allegri has also ruled himself out of the running, while Germany boss Joachim Low has signed a new contract which will keep him in charge of the national team until 2022.

Patrick Vieira is understood to have viewed his approach as a 'token gesture', and The Telegraph reports that Arsenal are now planning to accelerate Arteta's appointment after the Spaniard was left as their only serious candidate.

The Gunners had initially planned to name a new manager before the World Cup, but the announcement could now come earlier than scheduled, with Arteta set to make his first strides into management.

Arteta spent five years as an Arsenal player at the end of his career, making 149 appearances for the club across all competitions.