THE GREAT WALLET OF CHINA
Megamoney Far East bid to make Arsene the highest paid boss in world football
ARSENE WENGER could become the world’s best paid manager by moving to China.
The biggest of the offers he has had since announcing he was to quit Arsenal is understood to be from China and more than the £24million-a-year Marcello Lippi gets as the country’s national team boss.
Wenger is on £8m-a-year at the Emirates,
ARSENE WENGER wants his tempestuous relationship with Manchester United and Jose Mourinho to end in peace.
Both have provided incidents of high drama and testosterone-filled confrontation during his 22 years in charge of Arsenal.
Wenger and Mourinho have traded verbal blows and once, at Stamford Bridge in 2014, even physical ones in an ugly touchline shoving match.
Wenger said: “Will I say goodbye to Mourinho? I will say goodbye to everybody! In France we say ‘au revoir’ which means we might see you again!
“Will we be friends? It depends… I respect him a lot of course. You should give me a little bit of peace for my final weeks, don’t push me into a final confrontation.
“I want to go peacefully and Mourinho as well, he’s a great manager.”
The pair have shaken hands at recent matches (below), although they were hardly warm embraces.
But the passing of time has also made Wenger appreciate just how good some of the United sides he has faced down the years really were.
With the end of his Arsenal reign nigh after last week’s announcement he will leave at the end of the season it is no surprise to see and hear Wenger in a more reflective mood.
When it comes to United, the Frenchman has plenty to look back on too.
His rivalry with Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsenal’s with United was one of the fiercest of the Premier League’s 25 years. For a period, clashes between the two sides were unmissable. From Wenger’s arrival in 1996 to the season of his last title triumph in 2004 they were the only managers and teams to win the league.
Ahead of his final visit to Old Trafford as Gunners boss, Wenger said: “Man United is a massive club with fantastic players. When I go back I realise what a great team they were. They had Giggs, Scholes, Beckham, Ronaldo and Rooney ... great young players. “Then you see what they have done later and that shows the challenge. Van Nistelrooy and all these guys together. “They had an unbelievable team. I realise that better at a distance than at the time.
“There have been some great battles in 22 years. If I get a good reception I will take it.”