Wenger on Barca job: My preference remains Arsenal

LONDON: Arsene Wenger has played down speculation linking him with a move to Spanish champions Barcelona at the end of the season, saying his first preference would be to extend his stay at Arsenal.

Barcelona coach Luis Enrique has confirmed he will leave the club at the end of the current campaign and Wenger is among the bookmakers’ favourites to replace him.

Sevilla’s Jorge Sampaoli, Athletic Bilbao’s Ernesto Valverde, Tottenham Hotspur boss Mauricio Pochettino and Everton’s Ronald Koeman are the other leading contenders.

“No, my preference is always the same, it will remain the same,” Wenger said when asked if he was interested in the Barcelona job.

“I’ve been here 20 years and many times had the opportunity to leave. I don’t have to convince you my preference has always been Arsenal.

“I am not looking for jobs of other clubs or jobs of other people.

“I am just focusing on getting to the next level and try to improve. Competent managers always try to get better, to reinvent themselves.”

The annual outcry for Wenger’s head has grown louder than ever this season following Arsenal’s 5-1 defeat by Bayern Munich in the first leg of their last-16 clash in the Champions League last month.

Wenger, who is out of contract at the end of the season, gave his strongest hint in years that he could leave Arsenal in the wake of that defeat, saying he would definitely manage next season, but did not know if it would be “somewhere else”.

Arsenal, who are fourth in the Premier League, visit fifthplaced Liverpool tomorrow after a break of almost two weeks, and Wenger said his players needed to find their rhythm fast to avoid losing at Anfield.

“For us, after a little break, it’s important to switch on quickly,” he added.

“After a break, it’s important you are ready from the start. For us, it’s vital to start strongly at Liverpool.”

Midfielder Aaron Ramsey will be in the squad after recovering from a calf strain, along with defender Laurent Koscielny, who missed Arsenal’s 2-0 FA Cup win over Sutton United last month with a hamstring problem.

Midfielder Mohamed Elneny is out for three weeks with an ankle injury.

Meanwhile, West Ham United manager Slaven Bilic has said his ninth-placed team will need luck to make runaway leaders Chelsea drop points when the two sides clash on Monday, but he believes the League title race is still wide open.

Chelsea visit West Ham’s London Stadium with a 10-point gap over second-placed Tottenham Hotspur, and Bilic, who oversaw a 2-1 League Cup win over the leaders in October, said his team would have to be on top of their game to get a result.

“We beat them, and it means a lot because at least we know it’s not impossible.

“We have done recently,” Bilic said.

“With concentration, dedication and determination – along with a little bit of luck, which is always needed when you play them – we can get a result.”

With 12 league games left to play, overhauling Chelsea will not be easy, but Bilic said there was still a chance that Antonio Conte’s men could slip up.

“It’s still very open,” he said.

“There are many, many points. Make no mistake, the clubs that are below us need points to stay up and improve.

“It’s the same up at the top with five clubs ... they still think they have a chance to catch Chelsea if they slip – and you can slip in every game.”

Striker Andy Carroll is back in full training after a month out with a groin injury, but top scorer Michail Antonio is suspended after receiving two yellow cards in Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Watford.

Bilic said that Antonio was in line for a new contract, but played down reports he was close to a new deal himself. – Reuters it very