Arsenal's executives met for a DINNER PARTY to decide on the club's next manager

Arsenal’s management selection committee met for dinner at a private London venue early last week to discuss their options, as faith in interim coach Freddie Ljungberg to hold the reins long-term diminishes.

Josh Kroenke, Raul Sanllehi, Edu, Huss Fahmy and Vinai Venkatesham held the summit to work out their strategy for the rest of the season and beyond, with Arsenal, who go to West Ham tomorrow, in the midst of their worst run for 42 years.

Arsenal are sifting through a variety of names and, as in 2018, have to decide on a wholesale rebuild with a younger candidate such as Mikel Arteta or to opt for experience.

Having missed out on Brendan Rodgers, who signed a new five-year deal with Leicester last week, and with Rafa Benitez too expensive to lure from China, Arsenal will focus on candidates such as Carlo Ancelotti at Napoli or Max Allegri, the former Juventus coach — although he says he won’t work until the summer.

Marcelino, who won the Copa del Rey with Valencia last year before being sacked, largely due to the politics at the club, is well known to Sanllehi. Patrick Vieira, who is struggling at Nice, would be considered because of his status at the club but his troubles in La Ligue mean it is difficult to make a convincing case for him.

Marco Rose, who was at RB Salzburg, has taken Borussia Monchengladbach to the top of the Bundesliga but has only just started there and would be unlikely to move mid season. Julian Nagelsmann at RB Leipzig is expected to complete two seasons at the club before moving on to an elite job, most likely Bayern Munich.

Another option for Arsenal would be to pursue Ralf Rangnick, who is head of sport and development for the Red Bull teams. Although he was regarded as highly as Jurgen Klopp in terms of his tactical thinking in Germany and is said to be intrigued by a move to the Premier League, he is 61 years old and is used to having significant control.

The meeting last week underlines the growing distance between executives and boardroom, with Josh Kroenke the only board member involved in the recruitment process and the clutch of executives present representing the real centre of power at the club.

As the club is facing a fourth successive season outside of the Champions League and with star striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang likely to leave in the summer, given that he only has 18 months on his contract, any new coach would be inheriting a club at its lowest point in recent history.