Arsenal executives meet Mikel Arteta as search for new manager intensifies | Football

Arsenal executives were pictured leaving Mikel Arteta’s house early on Monday morning in a sign that their quest to fill the vacant head coach role is gathering speed.

The club’s chief executive, Vinai Venkatesham, and director of football operations, Huss Fahmy, were seen getting into a car outside Arteta’s Manchester home at around 1.20am on Monday, in a strong indication that Arsenal are stepping up their pursuit of the former Gunners captain.

Arteta is Pep Guardiola’s assistant at Manchester City and had, a few hours previously, sat in the Emirates Stadium dugout as City beat Arsenal 3-0. He came close to succeeding Arsène Wenger last May, appearing bound for the role before Unai Emery was chosen late on in the process, but Arsenal appear to be preparing to offer him the top job this time around.

Arsenal had been looking to take their time over replacing Emery, who was sacked two and a half weeks ago, and appointed Freddie Ljungberg on an interim basis with a view to giving the Swede until May. But Ljungberg has won just one of his five games in charge and has urged the club to make a quick decision on the job’s long-term holder.

He is working with a skeleton coaching staff and said after the City defeat that “a decision has to be made so that we can have the same resources as other clubs”. The photos from the early hours of Monday morning suggest a sudden change of approach from Ljungberg’s bosses.

Pep Guardiola, with whom Arteta has worked since 2016, did little to douse speculation that Arsenal were once more pursuing Arteta when – also speaking on Sunday – he said: “What happens will happen.”

Arteta joined Arsenal from Everton in 2011 and retired at the end of the 2015-16 season. He has never made a secret of his ambition to be a top manager. Speaking in 2014, he outlined his commitment to playing “expressive, entertaining” football and said: “I’m 100% convinced of those things, and think I could do it.”