Arsene Wenger has been in charge of Arsenal for over 20 years and is a legend at the club. Although the club hasn't won the Premier League crown since
Arsene Wenger has been in charge of Arsenal for over 20 years and is a legend at the club. Although the club hasn’t won the Premier League crown since 2004, there is no doubt that it is Wenger who developed Arsenal into the global superpower that they are with fans all around the world.
Wenger’s current contract at Arsenal runs out at the end of the season, and no new deal is in place. There have been calls for the Frenchman to leave the Emirates Stadium in the summer, and it seems that there could be a change of guard. Below we take a look at three potential candidates to succeed Wenger should he decide to step down at the end of the season.
Eddie Howe (Bournemouth)
Eddie Howe is only 39 years of age, but there is no doubt that he is one of the brightest and finest managers in the Premier League. The work that Howe has done at Bournemouth so far is absolutely stunning.
The Englishman has guided Bournemouth from League One all the way to the Premier League. The Cherries are also in the process of making themselves an established Premier League team, and it would not be a bad idea to take advantage of the bet365 signup offer and back them to end up in the top 10 of the Premier League table this season.
What is interesting about the former Burnley manager is that he stays true to his philosophy no matter what. The Cherries play a possession-based passing game even when things are going wrong, which Arsenal fans will be quite familiar with. While Howe does not have the experience of managing a big club or in Europe, the Englishman’s method, philosophy and confidence make him a likeable person who could be a good successor to Wenger at Arsenal.
Massimiliano Allegri (Juventus)
Massimiliano Allegri is one of the best football managers in Europe and would be very good fit at Arsenal. Currently in charge of Italian giants Juventus, Allegri has a lot of experience and knows how to manage big-game players.
The Italian has won the Serie A title with both AC Milan and Juventus. The 49-year-old also guided the Bianconeri to the final of the Champions League in the final of the 2014-15 season. Allegri’s football is quite entertaining to watch; at the same time, the former Cagliari manager is very pragmatic and knows when to shut up shop during a football match.
Jorge Sampaoli (Sevilla)
Sevilla are playing some of the best football in Europe this season, and it is all down to Jorge Sampaoli. Appointed the head coach of the Spanish club in the summer of 2016, Sampaoli has made Sevilla in an attacking sensation who are challenging Real Madrid and Barcelona for the La Liga title.
The Andalucian club are a treat to watch while going forward, although it must be said that they do concede more goals than they should. This may be Sampaoli’s first managerial job at a Spanish club, but he had already wowed the footballing world when he was in charge of the Chile national football team.
The way Chile won the Copa America in 2015 was astonishing, and it would be wise of Arsenal to explore the possibility of appointing the 56-year-old as Wenger’s successor in the summer. Sampaoli would bring in a very dynamic and positive way of working at the Emirates Stadium, and the fans would enjoy watching their team week in week out.
While Howe, Allegri and Sampaoli all could be tempted to take charge of Arsenal, it all depends on Wenger. It is hard to see the North London club’s board deciding not to offer the Frenchman a new contract. It will be Wenger who decides if he wants to leave or not, but either way, it would make sense if that decision is made sooner rather than later.
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