When Unai Emery was sacked from Arsenal, a relatively long process took place to find a successor.
Lots of big names were immediately linked with the job at the Emirates, with Carlo Ancelotti reportedly close before the Italian was confirmed as Marco Silva’s successor at Everton.
Eventually, the club settled on Mikel Arteta, who quit his role as Pep Guardiola’s assistant manager to return to his former club and take them forward.
He has done so, immediately liked by players and fans alike, although some results still leave a lot to be desired.
However, patience will be key with the Spaniard seeing as it is his first time taking on such a role.
It’s a route that does have some risks to it, and one Arsenal seemingly settled on after running out of experienced options.
At least, that’s what Roberto Martínez’s agent, Jesse De Preter, suggested when talking to DH, as he revealed his client, currently in charge of the Belgium national team, received an offer from the Gunners after they sacked Emery on November 29th 2019 and was seen as their ‘dream’ option to succeed him.
He admitted: “Yes, he received a very concrete offer from Arsenal, but he refused it”.
The agent also explained Real Madrid came forward for Martínez, but the former Wigan player remained committed to his task with Belgium.
Signing a new contract until after the 2022 World Cup, the Spanish manager does have a clause in the deal allowing him to leave if a club he wants to manage comes forward.
De Preter said: “I’m not going to reveal the details, but the compensation to pay will depend on the club who wants him”.
As DH says, this would mean the bigger the club, the bigger the compensation.
