Arsenal sacked Arsene Wenger and paid him £9million to leave at the end of the season, despite having a year remaining on his contract.

The Frenchman announced on Friday that he was leaving the Emirates this summer after 22 years in charge of the club.

The 68-year-old claimed it was ‘the right time for me to step down’, but it now emerges that he was forced out under pressure from the US owners.

Instead Wenger lost the support of owner Stan Kroenke, who decided to act ahead of the Europa League semi-final against Atletico Madrid next week.

Wenger had no intention of leaving the club, forcing them to pay off the final year of his salary in full.

Having missed out on Champions League football this season and way off the pace in the league, the Gunners need to win the Europa League to return to the top table of European football.

The board hope announcing his departure early will galvanise the fan base and the players ahead of the must-win tie.

Wenger is leaving Arsenal after 22 years as manager having won three league titles

Chief executive Ivan Gazidis hailed Wenger on Friday evening but would not be drawn on the talks which led to his departure.

Instead he heaped praise on the long-serving boss and admitted finding a replacement would be a tall order.

‘I have often said (replacing Wenger) is the biggest challenge we face,’ Gazidis said.

‘In the coming months the world will see the unity and power of this football club, and the people within it.

‘We are not going to find a replacement for Arsene Wenger – we have to find a new path forward.”

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‘Arsene often said his aim was to leave the club in a better position than when he found it and we are in a better place today than we could have ever imagined 22 years ago,’ he added.

…Count me out of race for Arsenal job – Vieira

Patrick Vieira is “flattered” after being linked with taking over as manager of former club Arsenal but says he is “happy” as New York City coach.

The former France midfielder won three Premier League titles with the Gunners under Arsene Wenger, who will leave the club at the end of the season.

“I spent nine years at Arsenal which makes the club really special for me,” he told New York radio station WNYE.

“But that is not enough to coach the team.”

Vieira, like Wenger, arrived at Arsenal in 1996 when he signed from AC Milan and made 371 appearances for the club, scoring 32 goals.

He was part of two Double-winning sides with the Gunners, as well as the famous ‘Invincibles’ side which went through the 2003-04 league campaign unbeaten.

Vieira, a World Cup winner in 1998 with France, went on to play for Juventus and Inter Milan in Italy before returning to the Premier League when he joined Manchester City in January 2010.

He retired as a player before going into coaching and left his role as head coach of Manchester City’s Under-21s to take over at New York City in January 2016.

“I am always flattered to hear my name linked with different football clubs. That is good for your ego but at the same time, I am happy here,” he said.

“We will see what will happen in the next couple of years.”

Other names that have been linked with replacing Wenger include ex-Barcelona boss Luis Enrique, former AC Milan, Chelsea and Bayern Munich coach Carlo Ancelotti, Germany boss Joachim Low, Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers and Monaco coach Leonardo Jardim.