Arsene Wenger believes that his former Arsenal captain Patrick Vieira would be a ‘great asset’ for Crystal Palace as the ex-midfielder edges closer to being appointed as the Eagles’ new manager.
Wenger backed the man he trusted for years at Arsenal in a discussion with beIN Sports, as quoted by the Evening Standard.
The Standard report that Vieira is now in advanced talks with the South London outfit after nothing came of talks with former Dortmund boss Lucien Favre ex-Wolves manager Nuno Espirito Santo.
Wenger’s support for Vieira to ‘leave a mark outside the pitch’ just as he did on it during an illustrious playing career comes after the Athletic reported that Palace have agreed a deal with the icon.
The Athletic suggested that the process of applying for a work permit was already underway and that all that was left was for Vieira to officially sign his paperwork with the club.
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Here is what Wenger what had to say on the expected appointment of Vieira to beIN Sports:
“We still wish him the best, and I think it would be great,”
“First of all, he would be a great asset for Crystal Palace, and I also think that he has left such a mark on the Premier League’s pitch that I would like him to leave a mark outside the pitch.”
Vieira kicked off his coaching career with Manchester City after retiring, a move that opened up the chance to manager sister club New York City, who he led for two years before taking the Nice job.
The former midfielder guided the Ligue 1 outfit to seventh and fifth place finishes in his two full seasons in charge, before a slide last term left Vieira sacked in December.
Palace may need someone completely different after four years under Hodgson, with the boss having left just as the club face the prospect of releasing around 10 first-team players by the end of today.
It seems that the Eagles keeping hold of some of their stars that are set for release will depend on who takes the reins, so Vieira will have little time to make his own assessment on renewals – if the club are in fact willing, otherwise he’ll have to risk trusting that the club will offer him the funds for the rebuild.