In an unexpected turn of events, Eddie Howe, the young Bournemouth manager has emerged as the main candidate to replace Arsene Wenger at Arsenal. This may happen if the Frenchman decides against the idea of extending his contract which ends in May after the 2016-17 season. The club has made it clear that they want Arsene to continue in the future despite criticism from supporters since many seasons over inactivity in the transfer period.
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Many reports have emerged that the board is under serious consideration to replace the Frenchman with Howe when he finally decides to step down. There have not been any talks of a new contract between Wenger and the board as the manager intends to look at how this squad performs this season before deciding to commit his future at Emirates.
Eddie Howe is one of the most sought after coaches in English football and was also considered for the vacant England job before Sam Allardyce was announced as the new boss. He took charge of Bournemouth in 2009 and helped them to stay in the fourth tier of English football despite being slapped with a 17 point penalty. The 38-year-old left for Burnley in 2001 but returned to the Vitality stadium a year later.
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After returning, Howe has done a tremendous job in securing two promotions and also helping the Cherries to stay away from the relegation battle in their first season in the Premier League. All this was achieved by this young manager with an attractive style of football. Wenger himself is an admirer of Eddie Howe's brand of football and also with his style of business he undertook this summer.
Earlier in June, Arsenal's chief executive, Ivan Gazidis has confirmed board's full backing to Wenger. He said, " It’s not what motivates us or him. The reason we have Arsene as our manager is because our board believes he can deliver success. The reason that Arsene is here is because he believes that he can deliver success. If either of us didn’t believe that we would not be constrained by nostalgia or longing; we would have to make a change. Arsene would understand and support that. But it’s just not how either side feels. We feel we are on a good path. ”
Howe has done a commendable job until now but Arsenal would be an altogether different challenge for the young English manager. Though this is a welcome sign that a big club from the Premier League is looking to give a young English coach a chance to prove his mettle at the highest level.
