Arsenal look to life after Wenger with an eye on next best man
ARSENAL want to sound out Juventus manager Max Allegri as part of a recruitment process that will now accelerate significantly as the main European club seasons reach their conclusion.
The first managerial appointment at Arsenal in 22 years is being overseen by chief executive Ivan Gazidis and will be part of a major shake-up this summer across not just the Premier League but many of the elite European clubs.
Arsenal are not settled yet on whether to go all out for an established European heavyweight such as Allegri or former Barcelona manager Luis Enrique – and are also still examining younger head coach-style options – but there is a strong internal desire to make the appointment by at least the start of the World Cup, which begins in Russia in just over a month’s time.
The process has so far been slowed by a combination of a desire not to undermine Arsene Wenger – who has, for his part, emerged as a target for Paris St-Germain in their general manager role – but above all the practicalities of having several of their main candidates in work and completing their seasons elsewhere.
In an exclusive interview earlier with The Daily Telegraph this year, Allegri indicated that he would eventually like to work in England but it is unclear whether he is yet ready to leave Italy after winning the Serie A title at AC Milan before leading Juventus to three consecutive league and cup doubles and also two appearances in the Champions League final.
Chelsea, who are expected to replace Antonio Conte after the FA Cup final later this month, are also interested in Allegri and could yet rival Arsenal, who have not qualified for next season’s Champions League.
Arsenal have not as yet made any direct contact with Allegri, whose Juventus team virtually secured their fourth straight Serie A title on Saturday with a 3-1 win against Bologna. Aged 50, Allegri has already – accumulated 15 years and more than 600 matches of managerial experience, including the past eight seasons at major Champions League clubs with Milan and Juventus. He also already speaks some English, albeit not yet fluently. Enrique is especially well known to Arsenal’s head of football relations Raul Sanllehi, who worked with him as director of football at Barcelona, but there is concern that he could leverage their interest for another club. Monaco manager Leonardo Jardim, Hoffenheim’s 30-year-old boss Julian Nagelsmann and former Arsenal captain Mikel Arteta are also serious contenders.
Like Allegri, Jardim is interested in working in England in the future but has not yet decided whether to leave his current job this year.
Bayern Munich have appointed Niko Kovac, currently in charge of Eintracht Frankfurt, to take over from the retiring Jupp Heynckes this summer but Naglesmann is widely seen as the outstanding young coach in Germany and Arsenal’s new head of recruitment Sven Mislintat is well aware of his reputation.
Arsenal were also interested in Germany manager Joachim Low, but the timing of Wenger’s departure and the club’s desire to conclude an appointment before the World Cup would clearly be problematic.
Gazidis, who is a big admirer of Arteta, wants to first speak with the leading candidates and intends to conduct a thorough process before making his recommendation to the club’s majority owner, Stan Kroenke. Wenger himself will have no role in that process and there is no immediate prospect of him taking on another position at Arsenal. Paris St-Germain would like to speak with Wenger about becoming the club’s general manager alongside new head coach, and former Borussia Dortmund manager, Thomas Tuchel. Wenger wants to finish the season before holding any talks with any club.
He said after Sunday’s big finale at The Emirates that he needed to “reconnect with himself” and understand what he now wants, but the 68-year-old’s instinct is to return quickly to front-line management at a major European club. Although frequently perceived to be close to retirement, it is understood that Wenger is attracted to the idea of another project rather than simply the best payday and could see himself working well into his 70s.
Arsenal are now likely to begin an overhaul of Wenger’s coaching staff but current assistant manager Steve Bould, the club’s former defender, is likely to be asked to stay on. —