Ever since he took over as manager of the Gunners in 1996, Frenchman Arsene Wenger has taken the north London club to new heights.
In his 21 years as Arsenal boss, the former Monaco boss has won three Premier League titles, seven FA Cups and seven Community Shields, as well as guiding his side to the brink of Champions League glory in 2006 before they were beaten 2-1 by Barcelona.
However, since recent reports have emerged from the Islington Gazette saying that the 68-year-old’s job at the Emirates will be under review at the end of the season, we’ve put together a list of five managers who the club should sign the replace the ageing Frenchman.
Carlo Ancelotti:
Following his sacking from German champions Bayern Munich in early October, former AC Milan and Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti has been out of work, however should Arsenal relieve Wenger of his duties at the end of the season, the Italian may find himself back in a job sooner rather than later. The 58-year-old has amassed an extremely impressive CV during his time as manager, having won league titles in France, Italy, England and Germany as well as three Champions League titles with Milan and Real Madrid. There aren’t many people in the game with a better record than the Italian, and should he find himself at the Emirates come next season, we may see him add to his already impressive haul as a manager.
Diego Simeone:
Since his arrival at Los Rojiblancos in 2011, 47-year-old Diego Simeone has been a revelation at the Wanda Metropolitano. Since joining the club more than six years ago, the Argentinian has seen his side win a La Liga title, a Copa Del Rey, a Supercopa De Espana, a Europa League and a UEFA Super Cup, with Atletico also being two-time Champions League runners-up to rivals Real Madrid in both 2014 and 2016. The former Ateltico player has also manged to record a very impressive win percentage (61.26) during his time in charge of the former Spanish champions as well. If Arsenal are serious about winning the Premier League title, they’d have to go far to find a manager better suited for the task than Simeone.
Thierry Henry:
Despite his only experience in management being the assistant manager to Roberto Martinez with the Belgium national side, the legacy Henry left at Arsenal will always see him name linked with the manager’s job, and for good reason. The former Barcelona and Juventus forward has showed time and time again that the understands the ins and outs of football through his time as a pundit with Sky Sports, and seeing as he’s worked under manager’s such as Wenger, Pep Guardiola and Frank Rijkaard, it seems unlikely that the Frenchman wouldn’t have picked up a few things along the way in terms of tactics and football management. This is an appointment that, should it happen, will probably be one that is celebrated by Gunners fans, as the former France international is considered by many to be one of the all-time great at the Emirates.
Patrick Vieira:
During his time with the Gunners, Vieira saw himself become a fan favourite amongst almost all Arsenal fans, with the Frenchman being one of the ever-present players in the north London side’s ‘Invincibles’ campaign in the 2003/04 season. Since then, Vieira has taken a job in the MLS, managing Eastern Conference side New York City FC, with the former World Cup winner amassing a decent reputation in charge of the The Boys in Blue. The former Premier League winner has managed to record a win percentage of 43.33% during his time in the MLS, and should Vieira end up in charge of Arsenal in the near or far future, it seems as if the north London side will be in pretty good hands.
Eddie Howe:
Bournemouth’s meteoric rise from League 2 to the Championship between the years of 2009 and 2015 can only really be down to one man: Mr Eddie Howe. The Englishman’s win record in charge of the Cherries is nothing to be sniffed at, as the former Cherries player has won 108 of the 240 games he’s overseen as manager. Howe continued his streak with the south coast side last season, as he guided Bournemouth to seriously impressive ninth-place finish in the Premier League, a feat which seems even more impressive when you consider they narrowly avoided relegation the season prior. Howe has brought a high paced, high octane, passing style of play to the Premier League since Bournemouth’s promotion in 2015, something that even seen the 39-year-old linked with position of England manager. Should the Gunners have the long term future of the club in mind when looking for Arsene Wenger’s replacement, there won’t be many candidates better suited to the job than the Cherries boss.