Arsenal CEO Ivan Gazidis has dropped a huge hint that Arsene Wenger may not be the club manager next season. Wenger’s contract expires at the end of the current season and the club is yet to offer the Frenchman a new contract. Addressing the questions regarding Wenger’s future, Gazidis was rather blunt in claiming that Arsenal and Wenger’s future are not the same thing.
As quoted by Daily Telegraph, Gazidis said: "Arsenal is not Arsene Wenger. They're not one and the same thing. What Arsene has done is to capture and understand and embrace the values of the club and enhance them."
Gazidis acknowledged the work Wenger has done for Arsenal but the club’s CEO did not shy away from claiming that it might be the last season for Wenger at Emirates.
Gazidis added: "In a football sense, he has transformed the club. But I think from a value standpoint, we've been doing work in our local community for 30 years before Arsene Wenger came to the club."
"There have been issues across the game over time and we need to work out how we're going to progress through them and come out of it with a football that people can believe in."
Wenger in trouble despite a good start to 2016/17?
Arsenal are unbeaten since the opening day of 2016/17 Premier League season which has seen the Gunners jump to third place in the league table with only 2 points behind the leaders Manchester City. However, a bright start coupled with an impressive summer of transfer business has failed to guarantee Wenger his role as the Arsenal manager next season.
Wenger’s place at Emirates has been under serious doubts for a few seasons now due to his reluctance in adapting to the modern way of management. Wenger’s reluctance on spending big has been one of the key reasons for Arsenal’s failure in winning a Premier League title for over a decade now.
Ivan Gazidis believes that now is the time for the club to move on from Wenger and bring in a more dynamic manager who is prepared to take risks and make bold calls when needed.
Where next for Wenger?
For years, we have heard PSG and Real Madrid chase Wenger to be their long-term successor, however, the Frenchman has ignored them and was only focused on managing Arsenal. However with his time at the Emirates coming to an end, Wenger may be tempted to reconsider those offers.
At this moment, both PSG (Unai Emery) and Real Madrid (Zinedine Zidane) are in safe hands which may leave Wenger clear to take over as the manager of England’s national team in near future. Wenger has often discussed his fondness for this job but was never approached by The FA due to his commitment for Arsenal.
With Arsenal prepared to cut ties with their legendary manager, Wenger may finally be ready to take the most criticized job in English football.
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