Arsenal assistant manager Carlos Cuesta wanted by Serie A club Parma | OneFootball

Serie A club Parma want to appoint Arsenal assistant manager Carlos Cuesta as their new manager, with talks at the final stages with the Gunners, according to Italian transfer expert and journalist Fabrizio Romano.

The 29-year-old is now set to leave the Emirates Stadium club after working with manager Mikel Arteta for five years, and the North Londoners will now look to get a replacement as soon as possible with pre-season preparations for 2025-26 almost underway.

Cuesta managed Atletico Madrid and Juventus at under-17 levels and was the assistant manager of the youth academy of Juve before moving to Arsenal.

Norwich City were linked with the Spaniard in February 2024 but a move to become the manager of the Championship club fell through.

Cuesta began coaching at Atletico Madrid in 2014 as an 18-year-old and is one of Arteta’s closest friends, but he is now expected to move on and begin his own managerial journey in the Italian top-flight.

His imminent departure will be a huge blow to the Arsenal coaching set-up given that he is popular with the players, and he will be desperate to prove his mettle as a first-team boss in one of the best leagues in the world.

The highly-rated Cuesta speaks six languages and has largely worked as an individual development coach with the Gunners, heavily focusing on improving tactical understanding, and he will fancy his chances at Parma after his years and wealth of experience.

Unfortunately for the Arsenal coach, he could only help the team win the 2020 and 2023 FA Community Shields having joined them some days after they won the FA Cup in August 2020.

He signed a new contract until 2027 during the course of last season along with the rest of Arteta’s backroom staff but will now be replacing Cristian Chivu as Parma head coach.