Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger responded to speculation linking him with the England post on Friday with the French tactician arguably the ideal candidate for the job.
The 66-year-old celebrated 20 years with the Gunners last week, and during that time he has collected various accolades and silverware, a wealth of knowledge on the English game, dealing with the media and various other facets of managing in England.
Albeit not always the most popular man even with his supporters in recent years given Arsenal’s 12-year Premier League title drought, there are few that will argue that his experience, tactical superiority and the style of football and culture that he has developed in north London haven’t had a positive impact on the game as a whole.
While finishing his time at Arsenal with success is undoubtedly high on his agenda, he seemed relatively open to the idea of taking up the England role in the future.
“My priority is to do well here. If I am free one day why not, but at the moment my focus is on my job,” Wenger said, as noted by The Guardian.
Other candidates in the running with bookmakers across the board include the likes of Alan Pardew, Steve Bruce and Eddie Howe, while Gareth Southgate is involved in the discussion having been placed in temporary charge after Sam Allardyce left the post earlier this week.
Those individuals will have support too, but ultimately in terms of a tactician capable of taking on the best from around the world with the 2018 World Cup fast approaching, Wenger is arguably the best option that the FA can look towards.
Wenger is currently in the final year of his contract with Arsenal, and much will depend on how they fare this season as it will likely determine his future.
Should the Gunners win the title, it may well be the perfect way to say goodbye and take up a new position. If he fails, he could still decide that the time has come to move on.
As noted by The Telegraph, the Arsenal hierarchy are seemingly in no mood to lose their manager and will offer a contract extension to ward off interest from the FA.
As a result, it may come down to what option Wenger himself prefers next year, and few will question his loyalty and desire to continue at the Emirates. Nevertheless, that shouldn’t stop the FA from asking the question, as he could very well be the perfect all-round manager to lead England into the World Cup in two years time.