Arsenal supremo Ivan Gazidis rates Mikel Arteta as strong contender to replace outgoing boss Arsene Wenger
Manchester City coach and former Gunners midfielder gets the ultimate compliment from the Emirates kingmaker
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ARSENAL supremo Ivan Gazidis believes Mikel Arteta could be the best man to replace outgoing boss Arsene Wenger.
Former Barcelona boss Luis Enrique is well fancied for the job but Emirates kingmaker Gazidi has now thrust ex-Gunners' club skipper Arteta - now a Manchester City coach - high up the list of contenders.
report that Gazidis is looking to be "bold" after 22 years with Wenger in charge.
Ex-Spain Under-21 midfielder Arteta, 36, played for Barcelona B, Rangers and Real Sociedad before switching to Everton in 2005, initially on loan.
Following six successful and stylish years as a playmaker at Goodison Park, Arteta joined Arsenal in 2011.
He played more than 100 games under Wenger before retiring as a player and joining Pep Guardiola's coaching staff at the Etihad.
Gunners' chief executive Gazidis has reportedly told 200 members of the club staff that replacing Wenger will be a tough and exhaustive process.
And Arsenal showed their respect for the long-serving Frenchman by declining to approach potential candidates before his departure was announced last Friday.
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The next major step comes later this week when Gazidis joins the Gunners' head of football operations Raul Sanllehi and recruitment head Sven Mislintat to meed some of the candidates.
Sanllehi is thought to be the main backer of ex-Spain midfielder Enrique, 47, who won the Champions League and two La Liga titles in his three years with Barcelona.
Meanwhile, former Borussia Dortmund recruitment boss Mislintat is thought to admire two young Bundesliga managers - Hoffenheim chief Julian Nagelsmann, 30 and Schalke's Domenico Tedesco, 32.
Ex-Liverpool bosses Brendan Rodgers and Rafa Benitez are currently rated as outsiders despite both being heavily touted by pundits.
And Dortmund boss Thomas Tuchel is now tipped to replace Unai Emery at Paris Saint-Germain after being favourite for the Arsenal job as recently as last month.
