Unai Emery has once again boasted of the confidence given to him by the Arsenal board amid the undying rumors of his impending departure from the North London club. The Spanish boss made the claim as stories continue to circulate that he is up for replacement.
The embattled manager's tenure at the Emirates is said to be ending soon. Emery could be out anytime and the latest would be at the end of the term, the Daily Record reported.
It's unlikely that the Gunners' chief will be given an extension next year when his contract with Arsenal ends, added the report, citing Duncan Castles as the source of its information.
Castles revealed in his podcast that Arsenal has made the preparations for a change of leadership in the Gunners dugout, which could happen in the middle of the season or by the time Emery's deal with the team will reach its end.
"The suggestions are that they do not intend to extend his contract regardless," the podcast claimed, pointing to a well-placed Arsenal insider.
The official word from the club was that Arsenal is not searching for a new manager but things can change dramatically in the days ahead and most likely they will not be favorable to Emery.
"A number of supporters are now arguing that Arsenal should go and recruit [Brendan] Rodgers as an immediate replacement for Unai Emery, as difficult as that would prove to be," Castles further claimed.
Rodgers, who presently heads Leicester City and previously managed Liverpool, has been floated around as the next in line in the event Emery finally gets the boot. Another name mentioned was that of Jose Mourinho, whose last coaching stint was with Manchester United.
Meanwhile, Emery has revealed that in his recent chat with the Gunners hierarchy there were no signs given that the club has a plan of moving in a different direction. The Spanish boss was firm on his belief that he will stay on the job, Metro reported.
"We are speaking about our process to continue working and they did not show me some doubts," Emery was reported as saying.
He shared that in a recent talk with Raul Sanllehi, Arsenal's head of football, there were no hints given that the club wants a change of leadership, immediate or when the season ends.
In a recent interview, Emery dismissed the rumors that the Gunners will soon sack him and that Mourinho has been lined up to take his job.
"I am the coach," was the manager's terse response when asked to comment on the Mourinho rumors.
