Unai Emery’s reign as Arsenal’s head coach is currently under serious threat following another disappointing Premier League result. After going up 1-0 early in the match against Wolverhampton on Saturday, the Gunners eventually shared the points on the day.

While the draw saw Arsenal remain in fifth place in the table, they’re now six points behind Chelsea for a Champions League spot. Emery’s side has now managed just two wins over their last nine league matches. With the north London club struggling domestically, the head coach is officially under fire. Below are five possible replacements if Emery is sacked prior to the end of the current campaign.

 

Erik ten Hag

One of the most sought-after coaches in Europe, ten Hag is wanted by many of the big clubs on the continent. Currently at Ajax, the Dutchman shocked the sports world by guiding his team to the Champions League semifinal last season. Although they were eventually knocked out on away goals by Tottenham, Ajax far surpassed expectations set by pundits.

Ten Hag’s team is fun to watch. In fact, Ajax have only been shutout six times in their last 78 total matches under their current coach. The Dutchman has also never lost a road Champions League match since he was appointed Ajax manager in 2017. He previously worked closely with Pep Guardiola during his time with Bayern Munich and a move back to the German club is a huge possibility. Nevertheless, Arsenal should make ten Hag their top priority.

 

Massimiliano Allegri

Allegri reportedly rejected the chance to takeover at Arsenal following Arsene Wenger’s departure in 2018. This was, however, at a time in which he was still employed by Juventus and reportedly had concerns over transfer money with the Gunners. Fast forward more than a year later and Allegri is now without a job and Arsenal just smashed their transfer record with the £72 million Nicolas Pepe deal.

Much like ten Hag, Allegri will also have plenty of suitors in Europe. The Italian’s resume speaks for itself. A serial winner, Allegri has won the Serie A six different times, including five consecutive triumphs with Juve. He has also collected four Coppa Italia trophies and was runner-up in the Champions League twice. Although it could be difficult to persuade Allegri again, he would bring defensive stability and a winning mentality to north London.

 

Julian Nagelsmann

One of the brightest young minds in the sport, Nagelsmann would bring excitement to the Gunners. Starting his senior coaching career with Hoffenheim in 2016, he took the German side from flirting with relegation to a top four team in the league. Following a successful stint at Hoffenheim, Nagelsmann switched to RB Leipzig during the summer.

The German mostly deploys three center backs in defense; however, he is extremely flexible when it comes to positioning. Leipzig have used a back four at times and can also switch to five at the back when under pressure as well. Although he instills fluidity in his teams, Nagelsmann is also known for his sense of togetherness and positivity as a coach as well. These are things that Arsenal specifically could benefit from at the moment.

 

Brendan Rodgers

Rodgers has been a revelation since becoming Leicester manager earlier in the year. The Foxes are third in the Premier League table and have scored more goals than Liverpool in the current campaign. Rodgers has made Leicester one of the more enjoyable teams to watch in the Premier League.

Reports have surfaced that Arsenal would be keen to appoint a manager with Premier League experience and Rodgers has it. Despite the fact that his time with Liverpool did not go according to plan, the Northern Irish coach has certainly learned from his stint on Merseyside. Four years have passed since Rodgers departed Liverpool and he had a very successful spell at Celtic prior to taking the Leicester job in February.

 

Freddie Ljungberg

The current Arsenal assistant coach and former star player could be used as stopgap until one of the aforementioned names become available. However, if Ljungberg does takeover the role and quickly turns things around for the good, he could officially be given the reins.

There are some obvious perks to promoting Ljungberg as head coach. First of all, he is already familiar with the players and how to deploy them. The Swede supposedly gets along well with the senior Arsenal team and he previously did well as the head coach of the U23 team last season. As a former player, Ljungberg is also aware of the club’s traditions and values as well. The Arsenal U23s played some fantastic soccer last season and Gooners are hoping for a manager than can incite some electrifying offense into this team.