Arsenal legend Arsene Wenger has claimed that he turned down offers from rival clubs due to his links to our club, whilst adding that he never returned to north London as he believed he could pose as a distraction.
The Frenchman will always be considered a legend at the Emirates, guiding our side to that incredible Invincibles season of 2003-04 whilst we were homed at Highbury, as well as overseeing a number of other memorable campaigns during his 22-year stint in charge.
Wenger now insists that he fully understands why they decided to part ways back in 2018, before claiming that he also turned down a number of other jobs, including opting against a return to the club also.
‘No I haven’t been there. After 22 years I had maybe arrived at the end of the road and people wanted a change, which I can understand,’ Wenger said at the launch of David Dein’s latest book (via the Metro).
‘I was always loyal to the club and turned many, many clubs down because I felt my life is definitely linked with the club.
‘The club has chosen a different direction, which I can understand completely and sometimes you need to change completely to have a new start. Me and my presence there could have been a problem.
‘I stayed away completely to give the club a chance to rebuild a new connection with a new manager. That’s why I never talked about Arsenal and never came back to Arsenal because I didn’t want to be a presence that was maybe not good for the club.’
While I can understand that his return to the board of the club could pose as a threat to the hierarchy, I feel like Mikel Arteta would be one who would benefit from his input, and the fact that they were at the club together previously would mean that there would be no need for an awkward situation arising because of Wenger.
It seems rather believable that other Premier League sides would have come in for him also, with a number of managerial changes having happened over the years in England’s top flight, and I’m pleased that we haven’t had to come up against him in any sense.
Could you have seen him in the dugout of one of our rivals, maybe at Manchester United?
Patrick
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