THE EIFFEL POWER
Wenger claims BY France have so many great players it is a ‘headache’ to pick best side
ARSENE WENGER has claimed France are ready to take over as the best team in the world again. Wenger believes France are as strong as Brazil were 20 years ago and are ready to regain the mantle from reigning champions Germany. Arsenal boss Wenger (right) says it has become a “nightmare” to try and pick the France squad because there is so much quality and they will be the team to watch in next year’s World Cup. France boss Didier Deschamps’ side reached the Euro 2016 final but lost in Paris to Portugal, although a new generation of young talent is now emerging. Monaco teenager Kylian Mbappe has been called up and is becoming one of the world’s most soughtafter players while Paul Pogba is the most expensive and Antoine Griezmann is a summer target for Manchester United. Wenger said: “I’m convinced, maybe because I’m French, that the best players in the world are in France. “When you put yourself in Deschamps’ place it’s a nightmare to select the best 20 players and then the best XI. “That is not the problem they have in Spain. Germany is still there but maybe a little less strong than they were in Brazil. The upcoming force in international football is France
where you find top-quality players like you did in Brazil 20 years ago.” France dominated in the late 1990s when they won the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000 with a golden generation of talent including Thierry Henry, Zinedine Zidane and Patrick Vieira. It fell apart at the 2002 World Cup but Wenger believes the new generation is ready to peak in Russia in 15 months’ time. Wenger name-checked Alexandre Lacazette – a summer transfer target for Arsenal – as being one of the players who is unlucky not to get in. Arsenal are chasing the Lyon striker after failing with a £40million bid last year. He was left out of the Euros squad but has been in prolific form again for his club this season. Deschamps also did not originally pick Monaco midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko despite them being the top-scoring club side in Europe, topping Ligue 1 and still being in the Champions League. France play Luxembourg today in their World Cup qualifying campaign, having made an unbeaten start in Group A and are red-hot favourites to go through ahead of the likes of Holland, Sweden and Bulgaria. They also face Spain in a friendly next week but Wenger says they are enjoying a glorious new era. Wenger added: “Every corner you can find a player who can play for the national team basically. When you look at players like Tiemoue Bakayoko, Alexandre Lacazette who are not even selected. “That was not the case 10 years ago and that’s why I think France has an exceptional potential and could take over.”