Report names three managers Arsenal are assessing to replace Wenger
By Danny Wright
Arsenal are worried that Arsene Wenger could quit the club at the end of the season and are eyeing three potential successors, according to a report.
The Telegraph claim the Gunners are assessing the credentials of Massimiliano Allegri, Thomas Tuchel and Leonardo Jardim as they eye a replacement for their long-standing manager.
Wenger was reportedly close to signing a two-year extension to his stay at the Emirates just a couple of weeks ago but, following two defeats in a matter of days to Watford and Chelsea, it is said that he could leave the club this summer.
The Arsenal board have drawn up their shortlist from the elite of European clubs. Allegri of Juventus, Tuchel of Borussia Dortmund and Portuguese boss Jardim of Monaco are all on the Arsenal board’s radar should Wenger decide to leave.
The 67-year-old is expected to wait until the end of this campaign before he makes a final decision. The calls for him to leave among the Arsenal crowd and the club’s final league position, should it be outside the top four, could be major factors in his decision.
Arsenal’s run of fixtures will do little to help Wenger as after a clash with Hull on Saturday, they face Bayern Munich twice, with a trip to Liverpool sandwiched between each of the Champions League legs, in their next four games.
History does not favour the Arsenal boss as the German side have knocked Arsenal out of the Champions League in the round of 16 on all three occasions they have met there.
Football Insider Verdict
It would be a great shame if Arsene Wenger was to finally call it a day at the club he has been with for over 20 years – the Premier League would not be the same without him. However if he was to leave the club, it would definitely be better for him to resign with his head held high rather than riding his luck and eventually facing the sack.
If Arsenal were to finish outside the top four this season, there would be no way back for Wenger. The fans demand league titles and criticise the Frenchman’s willingness to only settle for a top four place – if he fails to achieve that it would be unforgivable for the supporters.
In other Arsenal news, Mark Lawrenson predicts Arsenal v Hull.
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