Reports have broken that the Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has reportedly received an offer from the China to go and manage a club in the ever growing Chinese Super League.
The Chinese Super League has rapidly grown in this past year, having made some big money moves over the last 12 months, including record breaking deals for a number of South American superstars. The league now seems to also be looking to add a few famous faces into the managers dugout too and Arsene Wenger could be one of the first to make the move, should he be interested.
The report states today that Wenger received an offer of £30 million per year to manage out in China, however the club that offered the sum remains unnamed. Wenger of course is in a difficult situation with Arsenal, where his future remains undecided and it is uncertain as to where the Frenchman will be managing next season, if not with the Gunners. The report does state that Wenger turned down the offer.
In my opinion, if this story is true then it says one of two things. Either Wenger still intends to remain with Arsenal and his commitment to the club is as loyal as it has ever been. The boss has surely considered moving on from North London during his 20 years here, but he’s always had a plan in his mind that will see him undertake the challenge from start to finish. Otherwise it could be that the boss simply isn’t interested in the money and whether his future remains at Arsenal or not. If he does leave, then Wenger must clearly intend on managing in Europe rather than in the Chinese Super League.
Wenger of course has experience in Asian football culture, given his time managing Japanese side Nagoya Grampus. The money may be lucrative for Arsene Wenger, but I don’t think that’s what the boss is after. If he is to leave Arsenal come the end of the season, it’s always going to be for footballing reasons rather than for the money. Wenger has the utmost loyalty and respect for Arsenal and I’m not surprised to hear that he’s turned down the reported offer, especially given he has also rejected the likes of Madrid, Milan and the French national team during his stay with Arsenal. However despite this, you must admit, it is also a ridiculous sum of money to say ‘no thank you’ to.
By AH