Mikel Arteta previously hinted that he withdrew from the race to be Arsene Wenger's successor when the Frenchman left Arsenal in 2018.
The former Gunners club captain joined Manchester City as Pep Guardiola's assistant manager after hanging up his boots at Arsenal and has helped City win two Premier League titles since his arrival.
Arteta was among the frontrunners for the job at the Emirates Stadium after Wenger brought his two decade tenure to a close in May of last year but the Gunners would ultimately appoint Unai Emery.
But with the Arsenal boss' current struggles, reports have suggested the former midfielder is again a target with the Gunners board mulling over potential long term replacements.
football.london understands that Arteta was among 10 candidates originally interviewed for the job and it was widely believed at the time that he had emerged as Ivan Gazidis' first-choice only for the then-CEO to opt for the more experienced option of Emery.
However when discussing interest in him from both Arsenal and Newcastle, who attempted to appoint him as a successor to Rafael Benitez, Arteta indicated that it may have been his choice to exit the process in north London.
"Sometimes, I was about to leave, but I stopped myself," Arteta previously told Spanish radio station SER Catalunya when asked about possible approaches by Arsenal and Newcastle.
"The first [time] was different, the second was mostly me."
There has also been talk of the 37-year-old eventually succeeding Guardiola at the Etihad, and the City boss was quick to praise his young protege.
Asked during a press conference on Monday about his assistant's future, he said: "For sure he will be a manager.
"I would like him to stay with us as long as possible. But personal life is personal life, his professional desire is professional.
"He was a holding midfielder, he had incredible vision on the pitch. He’s an incredible human being, he has a great work ethic. I said after a few months of being together that he would be a manager one day.”
