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With Arsene Wenger set to leave Arsenal in the summer after 22 years at the club, one of the biggest jobs in English football will be up for grabs.
But who will end up in the hot seat? In this article, we run the rule over the candidates.
Carlo Ancelotti
Out of work since being sacked by Bayern Munich earlier this season, Ancelotti would be the ideal quick fix for a club hoping to challenge at the top domestically and in Europe in the next couple of years.
Ancelotti’s CV is an impressive one. He has won trophies everywhere he has managed. Two European Cups and one league title at AC Milan, a Premier League title and FA Cup at Chelsea, a French title at Paris St. Germain, a Bundesliga with Bayern Munich and a third Champions League crown with Real Madrid.
He speaks good English, currently lives in London and is a free agent, but given he is approaching the latter years of his career he is unlikely to be a long-term option.
Will that stand against him? I think that the powers that be would be foolish to overlook his claims.
Diego Simeone
Is the talented Argentinian out of Arsenal’s league? He continues to do a wonderful job as manager of Atletico Madrid against the might of their city neighbors and Barcelona.
He has been at Madrid since 2011, during which time he has won a La Liga title, a Copa del Rey, a Spanish Super Cup, UEFA Super Cup, and Europa League title, while twice coming agonizingly close to winning the Champions League.
He would be an ideal appointment for Arsenal with his track record of achieving success on a lower budget.
However, Simeone is fiercely loyal to Atletico and will probably stay in Madrid for at least one more season.
Patrick Vieira
The Frenchman has been touted as a future Arsenal manager since his successful playing spell with the club and would be a popular appointment with many of the fans.
The problem Arsenal may face is that Vieira is now firmly ensconced in Manchester City’s global project, first serving as the club’s Elite Development Squad manager before being appointed New York City FC coach in January 2016.
He enjoyed mixed results during his first two seasons at the club, but has enjoyed an excellent start to the 2018 season with the team top of the Eastern Conference after winning five and drawing two of the first seven games.
He is viewed by many at Manchester City as the long-term successor to Guardiola, but with the Spaniard seemingly settled in Manchester for the foreseeable future how long will Vieira be prepared to wait for his opportunity?
This one could happen.
Eddie Howe
If Arsenal are tempted to look for a homegrown appointment, their options are limited but Eddie Howe is a name that has been continually linked with the club over the years.
The 40-year-old has done a wonderful job over two spells at Bournemouth but has probably taken the club as far as he realistically can.
His attractive style of play would probably give him the edge over Burnley’s Sean Dyche but would Arsenal gamble their future on a manager who has never managed one of the top clubs?
Howe would be a good fit but I think he may need to prove himself somewhere else before one of the traditional big clubs take a risk on him.
Thomas Tuchel
Heavily rumored to be close to agreeing terms to be the next manager of Paris Saint Germain, Tuchel has built himself a reputation as one of the best young minds in the game over spells with Mainz and Borussia Dortmund with whom he won the German Cup.
Until he does choose his next club, Tuchel will likely be linked with every vacancy going but for some reason, I just can’t see him at Arsenal.
Will surely manage in England at some point in his career but this one might come too soon for him.
Thierry Henry
The greatest player in the club’s history, Henry has been clear that one day he wishes to manage Arsenal.
However, despite a short-lived coaching spell at Arsenal, and his current role as assistant manager of the Belgium national team, Henry simply doesn’t have the experience required to take on such a huge role.
His work as a pundit proves he has an astute tactical mind, but so does Gary Neville and look how it turned out for him at Valencia.
The Frenchman will undoubtedly manage the club at some point in the future but I don’t think it will be now.
However, I could see him as a number two in a dream double act with Vieira.
Joachim Low
The Germany manager for the last 12 years, it is widely anticipated that Low will call an end to his incredibly successful reign following the completion of the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
A World Cup winning manager, he is bound to be in demand when he does finally decide to move on but his record in club football management is mixed at best.
Arsenal would be foolish not to make inquiries and importantly it would be an appointment that would excite the fans.
Regardless of whether he does end up at Arsenal, it will be fascinating to see where Low chooses to go next.
Brendan Rodgers
Unlikely to be a popular choice with Arsenal fans, Rodgers could be a good choice if Arsenal want someone in for the long haul and are prepared to give him time.
Rodgers has at times become something of a figure of fun but his record shouldn’t be sniffed at.
He did an excellent job at Swansea, taking them into the Premier League and then keeping them there playing a wonderful style of possession-based football.
He was ultimately sacked at Liverpool but only after taking them to within a whisker of their first Premier League title and he is now on the verge of winning a second successive treble as manager of Celtic.
This would certainly be an intriguing appointment were it to happen.
Luis Enrique
The former manager of Barcelona, Enrique is currently the favourite to take the job.
Heavily touted as a potential successor to Antonio Conte at Chelsea, Arsenal will need to move fast to get their man as he will surely be in high demand after taking a year out following three successful years at Barcelona.
Those years at the Nou Camp saw Enrique lead the team to one Champions League victory, two La Liga titles, three Copa del Reys, one Spanish Super Cup, a UEFA Super Cup and a FIFA Club World Cup.
Like Ancelotti, Enrique is available and if Arsenal move quickly, his would surely be an appointment to get all Arsenal fans excited once more.
