New Arsenal manager: latest rumours and betting odds

Apr 24, 2018

Odds on Mikel Arteta plummet as search for Arsene Wenger’s replacement begins

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Mikel Arteta has emerged as an early favourite to take over from Arsene Wenger at Arsenal

With Arsene Wenger heading for the Emirates exit, speculation over who will replace him in the Arsenal dug-out next season is raging as chief executive Ivan Gazidis begins the search for a new manager.

Former Barcelona boss Luis Enrique is the early favourite, but the field is already a crowded one. The odds on former Arsenal midfielder Mikel Arteta (currently a coach at Manchester City) were slashed after Sky Sports reported that Gazidis was a fan and not afraid of making a “bold” choice.

The decision will not be down to the chief executive alone. He’s just one of three “kingmakers” tasked with appointing a replacement. The others are Raul Sanllehi, Arsenal’s head of football operations, and Sven Mislintat, head of recruitment.

According to the Daily Telegraph, the selection process will be thorough, but the paper says that Enrique is a strong candidate who’s “understood to be keen”.

Max Allegri, Mikel Arteta, Leonardo Jardim, Julian Nagelsmann and Joachim Low are among the other frontrunners, says the paper.

“As well as a manager who will continue to play attacking football and give young players their chance, Arsenal also want high standards of discipline. One criticism of Wenger has been that he has been too easy-going with his squad, although a strength also in his style is how he allows young players to grow and make mistakes.”

The London Evening Standard says that “Arsenal consider Carlo Ancelotti, who won the double at Chelsea in 2010 and is being linked with the Italy job, a serious candidate to replace Wenger, while former Borussia Dortmund manager Thomas Tuchel is also among the favourites”.

It also namechecks Arteta, along with another former Gunner Patrick Vieira, and suggests that Newcastle boss Rafa Benitez could be in with a shout.

Several young German managers have been mentioned in connection to the post, says the BBC. But the leading candidate was Tuchel, who’s been snapped up by Paris Saint-Germain.

“I don’t see Arsenal making an appointment from the Bundesliga – there is no realistic candidate who is totally viable from Arsenal’s point of view or vice-versa,” says journalist Raphael Honigstein. “Tuchel would’ve been that guy but Arsenal missed the boat on him.”

He’s also sceptical about the claims of the Italians Allegri and Ancelotti, and has reservations about Enrique. He told the BBC: “The fans would be very underwhelmed if someone like Celtic and former Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers came in. You could say the fans were very underwhelmed when Wenger came in 22 years ago, but the club need to make a bigger statement. That either comes through a blue chip manager or somebody they consider an Arsenal man – Arteta or Vieira would really galvanise the support.”