Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is reportedly set to make a decision on his future in March or April, although latest indications suggest that he will leave.
The French tactician was left crestfallen after seeing his side fall to a 5-1 defeat to Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Wednesday night as he had to somehow explain the capitulation.
With Arsenal’s Premier League title hopes seemingly over this season too, it marks another year with no major trophy and in turn it has led to calls for Wenger to be replaced.
According to The Guardian, the 67-year-old spoke to German TV channel ZDF before the Bayern defeat and revealed when he would be making a decision.
“March, April probably,” he noted. Whether that will now be sped up in the aftermath of the Bayern loss remains to be seen, but the earliest indication will be given in his press conference scheduled for 9am on Friday morning.
Meanwhile, as per The Mirror, it’s claimed that Arsenal have already begun to make enquiries with possible successors, but are doing so discreetly at this stage as they await a final decision from the current boss.
It’s reported that Wenger will leave at the end of the season and snub a new two-year deal worth £16m, while he will not stay on in a different role and so a clean break from the Gunners is expected.
All the usual individuals are named in the report, with Massimiliano Allegri, Thomas Tuchel, Diego Simeone and Roger Schmidt all noted as possible targets, and it will be an absolutely crucial decision for the Arsenal hierarchy that they must get right in order to avoid falling into instability and suffering as Manchester United have in a post-Sir Alex Ferguson era.
Nevertheless, a growing section of supporters have been calling for Wenger to go, and based on the latest noises coming out of Arsenal in these reports, it appears as though he could finally be ready to step away after 20 years at the helm.