Arsenal have drawn up an extensive list of candidates to replace Unai Emery as head coach after the Spaniard was sacked on Friday morning following the club’s worst run of results since 1992.

Mauricio Pochettino, Nuno Espirito Santo, Massimiliano ­Allegri and Carlo Ancelotti are all among the contenders to replace Emery, who was dismissed upon his arrival at the club’s training ground after Thursday’s defeat by Eintracht Frankfurt in the Europa League.

Pochettino is understood to be the preferred candidate, with ­Arsenal keen to appoint a coach with Premier League experience, but they would face a major battle to persuade the former Tottenham Hotspur manager to take the job so soon after his departure from their north London rivals. Pochettino has previously said he would “never” manage Arsenal.

Allegri, the former Juventus manager, is also available having been out of work since the summer, although there are concerns that his lack of English could hamper his communication skills, while Nuno has impressed Arsenal’s ­hierarchy with his work at Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Freddie Ljungberg, the former Arsenal midfielder, has been promoted from first-team coach to interim head coach and has a chance to press his own credentials for the permanent job in a series of winnable matches in the coming weeks.