Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta nearly became Everton's 'long term' manager

Former Everton director of football Marcel Brands has revealed he «moved heaven and earth» to try and appoint current Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta as manager at Goodison Park.

Arteta had been a player for Everton between 2005 and 2011 before ending his playing days at Arsenal in 2016. He would become a coach at Manchester City under Pep Guardiola before being head-hunted by the Gunners in December 2019.

Brands, who was in charge of football at Everton when they sacked Marco Silva admitted that he was close to bringing the Spaniard to Merseyside. «I moved heaven and earth to bring Arteta to Everton,» Brands told Dutch outlet SoccerNews, as per Sport Witness. «He is also a former player of course. I spent the entire evening at his house and I saw him as the ideal man for us.

»I immediately saw a top trainer. At the time he was still an assistant to Pep Guardiola and he was busy with other things. But you saw that he was becoming a top trainer. I only heard positive things.

Arsenal given Bukayo Saka injury scare as England star misses training ahead of Man City clash

Arsenal vs QPR behind closed doors friendly score and lineup as Mikel Arteta gets Man City boost

«Also within the club Everton. Then I was at his house to sound him out and I got so excited. So well prepared, and that passion came out everywhere. His mouth, his nose and his ears. I thought this is the trainer, but for the long term.»

However, Arteta eventually secured the top role at Arsenal later that same month after Unai Emery's departure with Everton choosing Carlo Ancelotti a day later. David Moyes was also considered for the job and shared last year how he nearly returned before Napoli's decision to let Ancelotti go changed everything.