'I believe in the players who are here' – Emery satisfied with Arsenal squad

Dom Farrell

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'I believe in the players who are here' – Emery satisfied with Arsenal squad image

New Arsenal head coach Unai Emery believes he already has the players at his disposal to challenge for major honours.

The former Paris Saint-Germain and Sevilla boss takes on a club without Champions League football after the final season of Arsene Wenger's 22-year reign ended in a sixth-place Premier League finish.

Emery impressed Arsenal's selection panel of chief executive Ivan Gazidis, head of recruitment Sven Mislintat and head of football relations Raul Sanllehi to win their unanimous approval out of an eight-man field.

The 46-year-old does not believe major surgery is required at Emirates Stadium and is satisfied by the quality of the players he will inherit.

"I know all the players and think all the players are very important," he said. "All the players, for me, I think I want.

"I will be with them in this way but I will speak individually with all the players face to face.

"I believe in the players who are here. The objective is to work hard together with these talented players."

Arsenal won three FA Cups in Wenger's final five seasons at the helm but they have tended to view the Premier League title race from a distance over recent years – something Emery is keen to change.

"All the titles that will be in the next season and the future [the aim is] to be a candidate and challenge for all the titles," he said.

"That is very important for the club after two years outside the Champions League.

"We need to arrive and be with the best clubs in the Premier League and the best clubs in the world."

Emery, who arrives having won the domestic treble in France with PSG, is relishing the task at hand.

"It's a big challenge but in my career, every year I grow up with new challenges," he said. 

"For me, the challenge is a dream come true.

"It’s a big challenge for me but I worked also with other big projects and, for me, I am proud to be here and work after Arsene Wenger."

Dom Farrell

Dom Farrell Photo

Dom is the senior content producer for Sporting News UK. He previously worked as fan brands editor for Manchester City at Reach Plc. Prior to that, he built more than a decade of experience in the sports journalism industry, primarily for the Stats Perform and Press Association news agencies. Dom has covered major football events on location, including the entirety of Euro 2016 and the 2018 World Cup in Paris and St Petersburg respectively, along with numerous high-profile Premier League, Champions League and England international matches. Cricket and boxing are his other major sporting passions and he has covered the likes of Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury, Wladimir Klitschko, Gennadiy Golovkin and Vasyl Lomachenko live from ringside.