Reported Arsenal boss target Hasenhuttl leaves post in Germany

Reported Arsenal boss target Ralph Hasenhuttl has left his position as head coach of RB Leipzig, the Bundesliga club have announced.

The 50-year-old Austrian coach led Leipzig into the Champions League for the first time, but he will leave after two seasons in charge with 12 months left on his contract.

Hasenhuttl was hoping to extend his contract at a meeting on Wednesday between Hasenhüttl, sporting director Ralf Rangnick and CEO Oliver Mintzlaff.

“The club are well within their rights not to offer me an extension, but we also stressed that going into the final year of a contract without a clear long-term future plan wasn’t ideal” said Hasenhuttl.

“I thought it was important for the future of the club and I would have liked to have been given a reassuring yes rather than a resounding no. That’s why I asked for my contract to be terminated early. I’d like to thank everyone at the club for an unforgettable time.”

Former Arsenal midfielder Mikel Arteta is the favourite for the job after Juventus manager Max Allgeri and Hoffenheim’s Julian Nagelsmann were ruled out of the running.

Arteta, now a coach at Manchester City, has been interviewed for the job, along with Patrick Vieira, but the New York City boss is understood to have received a follow up call to inform him he has not been successful in his bid.