Arsenal appoints former PSG manager Unai Emery as Arsene Wenger's successor

Arsenal's search for Arsene Wenger's successor concluded Wednesday with the appointment of Unai Emery as the team's new head coach.

The former Paris Saint-Germain manager was the "unanimous" choice to author the "next chapter" of the club's history, according to chief executive Ivan Gazidis.

Emery rapidly emerged as the front-runner to fill the void left by Wenger's departure after 22 years in charge and appeared to confirm his appointment on his own website.

After guiding PSG to the treble last season, the 46-year-old said he now wants to give Arsenal “some special moments and memories” as he gets set to embark on his first season in the Premier League.

"I am thrilled to be joining one of the great clubs in the game," Emery said. "Arsenal is known and loved throughout the world for its style of play, its commitment to young players, the fantastic stadium, the way the club is run. I’m very excited to be given the responsibility to start this important new chapter in Arsenal’s history.

"I have met Stan and Josh Kroenke and it’s clear they have great ambitions for the club and are committed to bringing future success. I’m excited about what we can do together and I look forward to giving everyone who loves Arsenal some special moments and memories."

Former captain Mikel Arteta was considered the favourite in the weeks that followed Wenger's announcement. Instead, the north London club appears to have gone with a candidate who was not initially included in Arsenal's shortlist of potential successors, according to Matt Law of The Telegraph.

It's understood that - along with Arteta - former captain Patrick Viera, who is manager of Major League Soccer side New York City FC, and Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri were among 10 candidates who were being targeted by Arsenal.

Despite Arteta's assumed title as the front-runner, Arsenal has gone with the conservative option in appointing a new head coach who has tasted success in both Ligue 1 and La Liga.

"Unai has an outstanding track record of success throughout his career, has developed some of the best young talent in Europe and plays an exciting, progressive style of football that fits Arsenal perfectly," Gazidis said. "His hard-working and passionate approach and his sense of values on and off the pitch make him the ideal person to take us forward.

"We conducted a confidential, wide-ranging and rigorous search involving extensive background references, data and video analysis, and personal meetings with all the candidates we shortlisted. All were interested in the position and we were unanimous in our choice of Unai to drive the next chapter of our history."

Emery began his coaching career in 2005 with Lorca Deportiva before spending time with Almeria, Valencia, and Spartak Moscow. He enjoyed a fruitful spell at Sevilla where he helped the Spanish side win three consecutive Europa League titles. His success caught the attention of PSG in 2016 when the capital-city club was searching for Laurent Blanc's replacement.

In Paris, Emery guided PSG to the Ligue 1 championship last season, and led the team to a pair of Coup de France titles, as well as two triumphs in the Coup de la Ligue.