Despite being made joint assistant manager at the club under Unai Emery, Steve Bould is being tipped to leave Arsenal to pair up with Thierry Henry should the former Gunner replace Steve Bruce as the Aston Villa manager.

Bruce is expected to meet with the Villa hierarchy today (Wednesday) to discuss his future with reports in the media on Tuesday claiming he was about to be sacked and replaced by Henry.

Reports claim that the Frenchman has already reached a verbal agreement with the Birmingham club and the Guardian report that Bould is expected to join him as his number two despite having significantly more coaching experience than the former striker.

Emery’s current coaching team comprises Juan Carcedo in his usual role as Emery’s first assistant. Pablo Villanueva is his second assistant, with Victor Manas as his tactical analyst. All three have worked with Emery before, and in Carcedo’s case he’s followed the head coach to every club for 12 years now.

Bould was kept on as a ‘local assistant’ – someone who knows the club and its culture and it’s not quite clear who would replace him should he leave for Aston Villa.

Bould was also linked with the Stoke manager’s job earlier in the summer as he pondered his future without Arsene Wenger.