Patrick Vieira has suggested that he would be very interested if Arsenal were to approach him over their vacant managerial post.
The Gunners have been without a manager for over a week, having sacked Unai Emery after a poor sequence of results that has led to them dropping to 10th in the League ahead of their game with West Ham.
One of the names linked with the post is Nice manager Vieira and, while he has reaffirmed his commitment to the Ligue 1 club, the veteran of nine years in north London has done little to disguise his desire to return to the Emirates.
“You can never ignore a club where you’ve spent nine years,” the 43-year-old told Canal + after watching his team record a 4-1 victory over Metz on Saturday.
“But, honestly, I’m focused on this project at Nice, I feel very good here. It’s a very exciting project. I’ve always said that I’m very happy in Nice. We’re all working to move the club forward and there is potential.”
Nice have been the subject to significant investment from English billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe this campaign, though they are still waiting for results to materialise on the football pitch.
The Cote d’Azur outfit, who signed Adam Ounas and Kasper Dolberg in the final days of the summer window, are currently stationed 12th in Ligue 1 on 23 points, just five short of the top three, which is required for Champions League football in France.
Vieira received more acclaim last season with his achievements for a team that had a significantly smaller budget, with the club narrowly missing out on Europa League, despite playing much of the season without a recognised centre-forward.
Vieira played 279 Premier League games for Arsenal from 1996-2005 and is now into his second top managerial post, having previously coached New York City in the MLS.
Arsenal are currently being led by Freddie Ljungberg, though the interim manager has made a poor start in the dugout with a draw at Norwich followed by a 2-1 home loss to Brighton on Thursday.
