Although an increasing number of Arsenal fans are beginning to turn against Arsene Wenger, there are still those out there who remain loyal to the Frenchman.
However, if the Gunners continue their recent form of losing leads as they struggle for consistency with their defence, the future of Wenger may need to once again be reconsidered at the end of this season’s Premier League.
So, with this in mind, here are five possible candidates the board may need to consider if the time comes for a drastic change to be made:
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Steve Bould
Name: Steve Bould
Age: 51
Nationality: England
Current Club: Arsenal (Assistant Manager)
Before looking outside, the Arsenal board should consider promoting from within. In this case, Arsene Wenger’s current assistant, Steve Bould, could be the perfect choice to take over.
He is known for his work with the academy players and could continue the club’s efforts to promote home-grown talent. Much like how Ryan Giggs is being moulded into the future of Manchester United’s managerial plans, Bould could become just that at the Emirates.
Pep Guardiola
Name: Pep Guardiola
Age: 43
Nationality: Spain
Current Club: Bayern Munich
Pep Guardiola is one of the best managers on the planet and tops every elite club’s list of potential managerial candidates. His consistent achievement at Barcelona has been followed up by a Bundesliga title with his current Bayern Munich and the Spaniard certainly has the talent and determination to make Arsenal genuine title contenders.
Although it is unlikely that he will leave Bayern so soon after starting his managerial career in Germany, if he does win everything there is to offer at the club this season, he could very well seek a challenge elsewhere. Manchester United, Chelsea, and Liverpool have all been linked with Guardiola in recent years, so acquiring his services is no easy task.
Roberto Martinez
Name: Roberto Martinez
Age: 41
Nationality: Spain
Current Club: Everton
Although Everton are currently in sensational form in the Europa League, their domestic form hasn’t been equal to the one which saw them qualify for Europe last season. Roberto Martinez’s job looks rather safe right now, but he has also been tipped to replace Arsene Wenger due to their similar coaching methods.
Another advantage offered by Martinez is his intimate knowledge of the Premier League, managing to keep Wigan up for three seasons before leading Everton into Europe. Wenger’s future may be safe for now but should the time come for change then the Arsenal board could do a lot worse than move for Martinez.
Jurgen Klopp
Name: Jurgen Klopp
Age: 47
Nationality: Germany
Current Club: Borussia Dortmund
Another name that is never far away from any of the top club’s list of potential managers is Borussia Dortmund boss Jurgen Klopp. His passion and personality is unmatched by any modern day manager and is the kind of personality that could instil a sense of fear into the Arsenal squad.
His success with Dortmund in the Bundesliga in recent years as made him one of the most sought after managers in world football. Klopp has often been linked with a switch to the Premier League, and if Dortmund continue to sell their best players to their rivals in Munich, he may finally tire and seek a new challenge. Liverpool as well as Manchester United have also monitored his situation in the past and could still make a move if the opportunity arises.
Diego Simeone
Name: Diego Simeone
Age: 44
Nationality: Argentina
Current Club: Atletico Madrid
Finally comes Diego Simeone, another manager with the passion and drive to push Arsenal to once again be a force both domestically and in Europe. He took control of an average Atletico Madrid squad and turned them into La Liga champions, beating both Barcelona and Real Madrid to the title.
His amazing acheivements have not gone unnoticed and a host of Europe’s top sides are currently considering his services. He is deemed as a miracle worker in the Spain and it looks as though the Gunners are really in need of one right about now.