Arsenal: Arsene Wenger the next England manager?
Arsene Wenger’s future beyond this season seems to be up in the air right now. Could the current Arsenal boss become the next England manager?
Arsene Wenger’s contract at Arsenal expires at the end of this season. The Frenchman has been approached regarding the England job in the past, but turned down the opportunity due to his commitments at the Emirates Stadium.
But Wenger will now be approached again by the English FA, according to the Daily Mail. Sam Allardyce left his post in charge of the Three Lions in disgrace on Tuesday. Could the timing finally be right for Wenger to take the England job?
Wenger is French, of course. But the 66-year-old has spent the majority of his career in England and considers it his second country. If Wenger was to take any national team job, it would surely be either with his home nation of France or his second country England.
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Gareth Southgate has been put in temporary charge of the England national team by the FA. That term is four games for now, but with England being in the simplest of World Cup qualifying groups, the FA could extend it until the end of this season were Wenger to agree to then take over.
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The question is what does Wenger intend to do next? Does he want another season or two with Arsenal? Or has he already decided that this will be his last campaign in charge regardless? That’s the unknown in the equation.
Wenger hasn’t won the Premier League title with Arsenal since over a decade ago. Perhaps a title victory will signal Wenger’s exit from a job he has been in for 21 seasons now? Wenger may even just want to move upstairs at the Emirates and take on a role as a director.
An international job is nowhere near as intense as the day-to-day involvement as a club manager, though. At Wenger’s age, and given his current contract situation, it might prove to be the perfect time for Wenger to finally take on an international job like England.
The FA Wenger more than Wenger needs them, really. The current group of bosses being linked with the England post is not the most inspiring group you’ll ever see. Names like Southgate, Steve Bruce and Alan Pardew are seemingly the leading contenders.
Wenger absolutely must be the first choice of the FA. He stands out a mile compared to the other names in the frame. But whether Wenger is ready to step away from Arsenal is a question people have been asking of Wenger for years now.