Arsenal considering bringing in ex-Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino as they sought a replacement for Unai Emery seven years ago, but ended up landing on Mikel Arteta

Arsenal held talks with Mauricio Pochettino about becoming their next manager before appointing Mikel Arteta in 2019 - with the now Gunners manager getting the nod ahead of seven candidates.

The North Londoners were in a dire spot in the autumn of 2019 when they sacked Unai Emery, a little over a year after he'd been chosen as the man to replace Arsene Wenger. It left the Emirates hierarchy again looking for a new manager.

And among the men on their radar was Pochettino, who was sacked by Tottenham 10 days before Emery received the axr. The Argentine enjoyed a largely upward trajectory with Tottenham, securing several high-profile wins over Arsenal, and the Telegraph report he showed a willingness to chat with Arsenal.

A move across North London, especially so soon after leaving Tottenham, would've damaged his reputation with his former club but ultimately nothing came of the discussions. Arsenal did consider a number of managers who had already proven themselves in Europe, some winning multiple Champions Leagues.

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That being Carlo Ancelotti. His compatriot Max Allegri was also considered. He had just won his fifth consecutive Serie A title with Juventus and was seen as a ready-made manager.

Several younger candidates were also shortlisted, Julian Nagelsmann among them. The German then had just taken over at RB Leipzig. Patrick Vieira was also part of conversations as the Arsenal hierarchy considered several former players.

He was then in charge of Nice in his native France, with his promising reputation eventually seeing him take over at Crystal Palace. Vieira was a former team-mate of Edu, who was then in an position of influence when it came to determining the next Arsenal manager.

Another Spaniard in Roberto Martinez advanced in the process but never landed the job. He had Premier League experience having coached Wigan and Everton but at that moment was leading Belgium at the time. Portuguese coach Vitor Pereira, who later went on to manage Wolves and Nottingham Forest, was also among their initial list.

Arteta would ultimately get the nod, but off the back over no managerial experience. His tutorship had been his time as Manchester City's No.2 under Pep Guardiola, but Arsenal's choice, investment and subsequent patience has paid off.