Manager still in huge demand, says Dein

David Dein, the man who appointed Arsene Wenger as Arsenal manager in 1996, has revealed that he has already been sounded out about the Frenchman’s availability.

The former Arsenal vice-chairman is a close friend of Wenger’s and told Sky Sports that the 68-yearold had been approached by Real Madrid and Paris St-germain over recent years and was still in huge demand.

Wenger has previously also been the subject of interest from Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Chelsea, Manchester City, Manchester United and the English national team. “He will have no shortage of offers,” said Dein.

“I personally had calls from various people yesterday, saying, ‘Can I speak to him?’ The question is, ‘Will he want to do it any more?’

“He’s going to be 69 in October, but he keeps himself extraordinarily fit. He is the same weight as when I met him – 75 kilos.

“He’s got a very active mind and such a knowledge of the game.”

Dein predicted that the impact of leaving Arsenal would be like a bereavement for the Frenchman, but that they had also seriously discussed whether he should continue after last season.

“It’s going to be tough initially,” said Dein. “It’s a way of life. He’s the first one at the club, the last one to leave. It is rather like a bereavement and the various stages, the first one is denial and finally you get to acceptance and you move on.

“He has to have a good holiday and decide after that what he wants to do next.

“It’s been coming. At the end of last season I was discussing with him, ‘Arsene, what do you want to do?’ He was a bit undecided. In the end, I said, ‘Arsene, do you know what your problem is? You love the club too much’.

“He’s so attached to it. So loyal, so dedicated. What he has done for the club is immeasurable. He will go down in history as the greatest Arsenal manager ever.”