Arsenal had serious conversations with former Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino before appointing Mikel Arteta, according to The Telegraph.
Arteta joined the Emirates Stadium club in December 2019 following the sacking of Unai Emery.
The Spaniard has since become a Gunners hero and legend after helping the North London club win the Premier League title last season.
However, he was not top of their list when they were searching for Emery’s replacement.
Arsenal spoke with Pochettino, who had been sacked by Spurs just a few weeks earlier, and he showed willingness to engage with the Gunners.
The North Londoners also had Carlo Ancelotti, Patrick Vieira, Roberto Martinez, Vitor Pereira, Julian Nagelsmann and Massimiliano Allegri on their wishlist.
However, they settled for Arteta in the end despite his lack of managerial experience at the time.
Former technical director Edu Gaspar, was tasked with identifying their next permanent manager at the time, and he eventually chose the former Manchester City assistant manager.
It has proven to be a smart decision, and Arteta recently signed a new long-term contract with the club.
Arsenal won their first league title since 2004 last season thanks to the Spaniard, and he will be desperate to go one better in the Champions League this season after losing last season’s final to Paris Saint-Germain.
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