Arsène Wenger says he is tempted by chance to manage at a World Cup

Arsène Wenger, who talked last year about the idea of being England manager, has spoken of the possibility of a move into international football and being involved at the 2022 World Cup.

The Arsenal coach, who according to some reports was the Football Association’s first choice for the England manager’s post after the departure of Roy Hodgson in 2016, has 18 months to run on his contract at the Emirates but says the idea of managing a national team at a World Cup is a tempting prospect. When asked about the possibility of moving into international management, Wenger told beIn Sports: “Maybe yes I will do it at some stage but until now I like to be involved every day in the life of a club because the real test is there. Four or five weeks is a different experience, it’s more concentrated but I believe the real experience of managing a team is on a daily basis.

“But I will not always have the physical strength to do that so maybe I will move into [international coaching]. It’s a fact my life is linked with football, in what way will be linked to my physical state.”

The Frenchman added: “Yes of course [I’d be tempted] because my life is linked with football and, depending on my physical state, I will [always] be in football. I don’t know [if] as a director, as a manager – as long as possible as a manager. But one day that will stop. But I will stay in football of course.” Asked whether he could be on the bench at the World Cup in Qatar, he said: “Maybe, you never know.” Wenger, who has also been linked with the French national team, commented on the speculation about his taking the England post last year when he said: “My priority is to do well here [at Arsenal]. If I am free one day why not, but at the moment my focus is on my job.”