With the departure of Roma manager Eusebio Di Francesco complete and Claudio Ranieri all but confirmed as his successor, there are rumblings that coveted sporting director Monchi is on his way out as well, and could be headed to the Premier League.
The Spaniard was involved in an altercation with Roma fans at the airport after the club crashed out of the Champions League at the hands of Porto. As the supporters heckled players and coaches, Monchi reportedly yelled back, “In six months I will take on each one of you one by one!” Monchi was forced to issue a half-apology on Instagram, saying he was sorry to those fans at the airport, but claimed “my words were reported incorrectly.”
Many have speculated since the incident that the altercation could prove the end of his time in the Italian capital, and that reports in late February linking him to Arsenal could come to fruition.
According to Italian publication Il Messaggero - a Roman-based newspaper - back on February 25, Monchi is set to leave the club within the next 24 hours and is close to an agreement with English side Arsenal. Spanish tabloid Marca reported the same three days earlier, although they gave Monchi until the end of June - when most European soccer contracts expire - at the Italian club. English publication The Independent claimed in late January that the club is consulting with manager Unai Emery on a replacement for the departed Sven Mislintat who they would like to replace as soon as possible. Emery worked with Monchi at Sevilla for three years, leading to the natural links.
However, now that things are getting heated between Di Francesco’s sudden departure and the incident at the airport, Italian reports claim that Monchi’s departure is imminent and coming soon. Both Corriere dello Sport and Tuttomercatoweb have claimed that the two parties will terminate Monchi’s contract by mutual consent, and Arsenal will ease the process by paying what essentially amounts to a $1.7 million release clause. His current contract runs through June of 2021.
Monchi grew in popularity when he took Sevilla from the Spanish 2nd division and built them into a top-half La Liga side with significant European success. He left Sevilla in 2016 after 16 years at the club, joining Roma and helping them reach the semifinals of the 2017/18 Champions League.