What’s the story?
Arsenal have reportedly approached Thomas Tuchel according to BILD. The Gunners want to see him taking over from Arsene Wenger when the season ends.
The German publication report that Arsenal have contacted the Borussia Dortmund manager directly about possibly taking over. However, they also stress that Tuchel's preference is to remain with Dortmund, which would leave Juventus' Max Allegri as the leading contender.
This comes just days after Wenger revealed that he has made his decision. "I know what I will do, you will soon know," said Wenger to reporters after the Gunners lost 3-1 at West Bromwich Albion.
In case you didn’t know...
Arsene Wenger's contract at Arsenal expires at the end of the season and doubts remain over his future at the club. The club had reportedly offered him a 2-year contract extension, but things have changed since their Champions League humiliation at the hands of Bayern Munich.
A section of the Arsenal faithful have protested against the manager being given a new contract and have made their voice heard at every single game this calendar year. Meanwhile, there is a section of the Gunners who still want the manager to continue as long as he wants at the club.
Also read: Plane wars - Pro and anti-Wenger factions take to the skies at Arsenal v West Brom
The 66-year-old has been the Arsenal manager for 20 years now but has come under increasing pressure in recent weeks. The Gunners have ended up losing six of their last nine matches in all competitions, and it has made things worse for him. They have been knocked out of the Champions League and have fallen to 6th in the Premier League table in a matter of 2 weeks.
The heart of the matter
Tuchel has done a great job ever since he took over from Jurgen Klopp at Dortmund. He got the Yellow Brigade to finish second behind Bayern Munich during his first season with the club and also got them bac into the Champions League.
The 43-year-old has a 62% win percentage during his time at Dortmund and is doing an excellent job of building a team for the future at the club. He's signed some tremendous young talents and also promoted youths from the academy like Christian Pulisic into the first team.
The Arsenal board are highly impressed with what the manager has done at the club and want him to replicate the same at Emirates from next season. Apart from Tuchel, Juventus manager, Max Allegri is said to be in the running for the job.
What’s next?
Arsenal are currently 6th in the table and are in the FA Cup semi-finals. Wenger would want to end the season on a high and finish in the top 4 once again.
Meanwhile, Tuchel's Dortmund are into the last-8 of the Champions League and will face Monaco. The Bundesliga title is out of reach but the manager would want to beat RB Leipzig to the 2nd place in the table.
As for the managerial position, talks between the club and the manager would be halted for the time being. Tuchel would want to concentrate on his side right now rather than thinking about his future.
Author’s Take
Tuchel would be a brilliant replacement for Wenger but it would be a new league for him and the board must be ready to give him enough time to settle in.
