Rafa Benitez
The short-term option, Rafa Benitez could be an ideal choice to take the job until the end of the season.
With Arsenal already a long way off the top four, Benitez would have a clear remit of closing that gap as quickly as possible and using his years of experience to mount a challenge in the Europa League too, a tournament he won with Chelsea under similar circumstances in 2013.
The former Liverpool, Chelsea and Newcastle United man is currently contracted with Dalian Yifang in China, but would surely be intrigued by the opportunity to manage one of the Premier League’s top clubs once again.
While Benitez is not renowned for his attacking, stylish football, he has shown consistently that he can get the most of struggling sides and shore up leaky defences.
Arsenal are still far too open at the back, something Emery has tried and failed to remedy, so the influence of something with the pedigree of Benitez could have a lasting impact on the way the club approaching defending going forward.
However, the downside with Benitez is that he will likely come with expensive wages and would only be an option until the end of the season.
That could make it easier to lure a bigger name away during the summer, but if he fails to achieve his objective of Champions League qualification it could be seen as a sideways move.
Furthermore, his dull football at Chelsea quickly drew the ire of the fanbase and with Emery coming under criticism for his own brand of conservatism at Arsenal, Benitez may not be the man to reunite the club’s fractured support.