Three managers who could replace Unai Emery at Arsenal

Unai Emery is already in the final year of his contract at Arsenal with the Spaniard being offered only a two-year deal and the way this season goes plays a crucial part in determining his future and Arsenal's future. No one knew what to expect from Emery when he joined Arsenal and that was a key reason why he was offered just two years.

And after a creditable first season, he has to deliver a top-four finish and maybe even a trophy this season or it could be the end of his managerial reign at Arsenal.

Arsenal has made a decent start to the 2019/20 Premier League season and looks well placed to finish at least third this season given Chelsea, Tottenham and Manchester United's poor start. However, this is the Premier League and given its unpredictability, anything could happen by the end of the season. One of those unpredictable outcomes could be Arsenal finishing outside the top four and should that happen Arsenal will be on the lookout for a new manager.

Here is a look at three managers Arsenal could appoint should Unai Emery fail to deliver during this season or by the end of this season:

#1. Massimiliano Allegri

Arsenal fans wanted Massimiliano Allegri to take over following Wenger's departure.

Following Arsene Wenger's departure, every Arsenal fan out there wanted Massimiliano Allegri to take charge of Arsenal but unfortunately, that never materialized. However, with the Italian now out of the game for more than a year, he could be set to take charge of a club again and he and Arsenal would be a match made in heaven.

Allegri enjoyed a dominant spell with Juventus for five years where he won the Serie A every year, the Coppa Italia four times, the Supercoppa Italiana twice and was runners-up in the Champions League twice as well. He also won the Serie A with AC Milan which was their first title sine 2004 and his trophy-winning mentality is something that Arsenal clearly needs.

In an article for the Players' Tribune last year, Allegri spoke of his passion for improving players.

"There's so much pressure at this level of football, and there should be," he said. "But I try to remember why I do this. I don't think of myself as a manager. I think of myself as a youth coach. I do this because I love teaching. It is truly the joy of my life. I like making players better and smarter."

This ideology of Allegri will certainly come in hand given Arsenal's young squad and given his record, he could be influential defensively and everyone knows Arsenal needs to improve their defense more than anything.

Despite rumors of Allegri set to taking over at Tottenham, the opportunity to manage a huge club like Arsenal could sway the Italian should the Arsenal board make him an offer.

#2. Jose Mourinho

Jose Mourinho would be a controversial appointment at Arsenal.

Jose Mourinho becoming Arsenal manager would be one of the most controversial appointments in footballing history given the clubs he has managed in the Premier League but more importantly his on and off-field antics. However, despite his controversial nature and his third season curse, there is no doubt that he is one of the best managers in the world.

The Portuguese, just like Allegri, has a knack of winning trophies and he has proved that with five of the seven clubs he has managed. Mourinho said he was very excited with the potential of Arsenal's front three and that got many Arsenal fans excited as they thought he was hinting that he wanted to be the next Arsenal manager.

Since Mourinho made those comments, several top football writers and journalists have admitted that he could make Arsenal a force once again. Since these Mourinho rumors have surfaced, the Arsenal fans have been divided on him becoming the next Arsenal manager given his style, attitude and his personality.

Be that as it may, Mourinho has always based his team and tactics on a strong defense and that is something Arsenal desperately needs. Even if Mourinho's third season curse continues if he joins Arsenal, there is a high possibility he would deliver trophies in his first two seasons.

#3. Laurent Blanc

Laurent Blanc would be an unusual appointment for Arsenal.

Laurent Blanc has not been in a dugout since 2016 after he left Paris Saint-Germain after three successful years where the Frenchman won every domestic trophy during his time there and won a total of 11 trophies. While a lot of people might be a little harsh on him during his time at PSG saying he had all the money in the world but let's not forget he was appointed at a time when PSG was just taken over by Qatar Sports Investment (QSI).

So things would have not been easy for Blanc when he just joined PSG given that he had to get the whole squad together and manage a squad filled with many high profile signings. More importantly, he had to deliver from the get-go given the amount of money PSG's new owners spent and he certainly did not disappoint.

The chances of Laurent Blanc becoming Arsenal manager is very unlikely but then again you never know in football. Maybe Arsenal needs another Frenchman to get back the glory days following Arsene Wenger's departure and Blanc could be that man.

There have been no rumors or any talk of Blanc being linked with the job at Arsenal now or even when Wenger announced he was going to leave Arsenal. However, football is very unpredictable on and off the field and with Blanc being without a club for the last three and a half years, he will definitely be eager to get back to management and would have gained a lot more footballing knowledge and could be the one to get Arsenal back on top.

Edited by S Chowdhury