Barcelona are claimed to be eyeing a move to sign Massimiliano Allegri from Juventus this summer, a manager who had been strongly linked with joining Arsenal.
The current Juventus boss is believed to be ready to quit the Turin club 12 months before his contract was set to end, and has also been claimed to have held talks with Arsenal over a potential switch in the future.
Arsene Wenger would of course be leaving the club should a new manager be found, and the Frenchman may well opt to stay on until a top replacement agrees to join, and Barcelona may now be set to end the Gunners hopes of bringing Allegri to the Premier League.
This could well mean that Wenger could be set to extend his stay in North-London, a decision which will most definitely be met with anger by sections of the club’s fans, who have been lobbying for change for some time now.
Arsenal have not won a league title since the infamous ‘Invincibles’ season back in 2004, and many insist that the current manager’s tactics and fight have become stale, and protests have even been arranged to push for change.
Other targets include Seville boss Jorge Sampaoli and Bournemouth’s Eddie Howe, while Rafael Benitez is also another speculative possibility.
Whether Arsene Wenger would give any of the latter trio his seal of approval, like Sir Alex Ferguson gave to David Moyes on his exit from Manchester United, is yet to be seen.
Arsene has already confirmed that he will remain in football management next season, whether it be with Arsenal or not, which only confirms to me that he will not leave our club unless a reasonable replacement is confirmed.
Would Wenger leave his post to accommodate Sampaoli, Howe or even Benitez? Is Allegri the stand-out option?
Pat J