Arsenal have made contact with former Valencia boss Marcelino Garcia Toral to replace the sacked Unai Emery, report Goal in Spain.
Marcelino was sacked at Los Che in September despite consecutive top four finishes for the club, alongside guiding the side to their first trophy in 11 years – beating Barcelona in May’s Copa del Rey final.
Prior to Marcelino’s arrival at the Mestalla, Valencia had finished 12th in successive seasons with his level of intensity and organisation said to be vital for their rejuvenation.
The Gunners are now in the midst of their worst run of form since February 1992 as they are without a win in any of their last seven matches across all competitions.
They remain eighth in the Premier League but are without a victory in their last five matches in the competition and their hopes of a top four finish are slowly slipping away from them.
Despite reaching the Europa League final in Emery’s first campaign at the helm, the mood shifted decisively with a series of underwhelming results and performances.
Thursday night’s loss against the Bundesliga side means they have not yet advanced to the Europa League knockout stages, but anything other than a heavy loss at Standard Liege in their final group game will see them advance.
Marcelino has coached in Spain across two decades while also having spells at Sporting Gijon, Recreativo Huelva, Racing Santander, Sevilla and Villarreal.
