Who should replace Arsene Wenger at Arsenal?

Arsenal’s season has collapsed in March and April and this has lead to speculation about whether Wenger will extend his stay at the emirates for a few more years. So in this article i’m going to briefly list the possible candidates to replace him.

1. Jurgen Klopp:

Jurgen klopp shouts instructions to his players from the sidelines

The Borussia Dortmund manager likes to play what he calls “heavy-metal football”. He sets his teams out to play high octane, fast paced, attacking football.The German is an explosive character who is constantly motivating and giving instructions to his team from the sidelines. He has had a lot of success with this mentality in the last few years as he won the Bundesliga two years running followed by a champions league runners up medal.

Klopp,like Wenger, gives a lot of opportunities to the younger players in his squad and has played a huge role in the development of players like Gotze and Lewandowski into world class players. What makes his achievements even more astonishing is the fact that he operates on a relatively small budget.He has made some very astute signings in his time as the Dortmund manager with little money for example his signing of Robert Lewandowski for 45 million euros was a masterstroke. This season he has had to deal with injuries to a majority of his first team which has hampered his title challenge.It will be difficult for Arsenal to take him away from Dortmund as he is contracted till 2018 but if he decides that he needs a new challenge I think Arsenal is perfect for him.

Suitability for the job: 9/10Probability: 7/10Arsenal’s season has collapsed in March and April and this has lead to speculation about whether Wenger will extend his stay at the emirates for a few more years. So in this article i’m going to briefly list the possible candidates to replace him.

2. Roberto Martinez:

Martinez celebrating with Lukaku after he scored

Another manager who has been linked with a move to Arsenal is Roberto Martinez. Roberto Martinez joined Everton in 2013 after winning the F.A. cup with Wigan despite being relegated from the Premier League.

But this doesn’t tell the whole story as Martinez has masterminded many great escapes with a Wigan team that many regarded as dead and buried in the relegation battle causing loads of upsets along the way the biggest of which was when they beat Manchester city 1-0 to claim the F.A cup in 2013.

Many people were unsure about whether he would be able to give Everton the same stability that Moyes gave them but the Spaniard has taken Everton to the next level. He has made them start playing attractive, possession based attacking football, which is very similar to Arsenal’s style of play, while also having a solid defense which has made Everton a very hard to beat. He gives his players the freedom to express themselves on the pitch and the players have flourished under his tutelage. Martinez is extremely enthusiastic about his team and is constantly seen encouraging them on the sidelines.

The former Swansea manager also has had a huge hand in the growth of players like Lukaku and Barkley who are swiftly becoming the most sought after players in England.

Martinez has a special bond with his team and is loved by the fans. He was able to assess his squad at the beginning of the players and quickly made the required transfers to plug the holes in his squad. The only negative about Martinez joining Arsenal is that he has never managed a side of Arsenal’s magnitude before, but I’m sure it won’t take him too long to adapt.

Suitability for the job: 8/10

Probablity: 6/10

3. Diego Simeone:

Simeone plotting his substitutions

The Athletico Madrid manager has worked wonders with his team this season. Under Simeone Athletico have finally broken the duopoly of Barcelona and Real Madrid in the Spanish League.

They are still fighting for the league title and also have a champions league semi final to look forward to later this month. His team may not be the most technically gifted team but they have an extremely high work rate and is very well organized as shown by their most recent victory over Barcelona in the Champions league semi finals.

When asked about what his teams biggest strength is he said,”passion,hard work and humility”, which typifies his team. The Argentine has had to deal with his best players leaving season after season, for example Falcao this season, but always found better replacements with the money he had. He does a great job of keeping his side calm and making sure they don’t feel the pressure of being on top of the table. Another great quality of Simeone is his the quality of his substitutions. He always knows precisely what his team needs and makes the appropriate changes.

His team has been a breath of fresh air in an era in which football is ruled by Arab Shaikhs or Russian oligarchs. He is an extremely dynamic manager who athletico will do well to keep. The only doubt I have about Simeone if he joins Arsenal is that his brand of football is completely different from what Arsenal currently employ and it will take time for the players to adapt to his style of football.

Suitability for the job: 7/10

Probability: 6/10

4. Frank De Boer:

Frank de Boer (left) with his assistant Dennis Bergkamp

Frank de Boer has a vision to bring Ajax back to the top of the food chain in Europe and bring back the glory days for the club. He is very much a forward thinking manager who recognized that Ajax cannot compete with the money of the bigger clubs and made a plan for the future.

In this context De Boer said,”We know if we want to survive, we have to generate new players”. Domestically the Dutchman has been excellent for Ajax winning the eredivisie title for three consecutive seasons and was voted manager of the season last season. He makes his team train extremely hard and focuses on the individual development of all of his players with a lot of detail. The former Ajax player has a passion for football that not many people have.

De Boer has rejected offers to join a few of the big teams in the recent past but the fact that Arsenal legend Dennis Bergkamp is his assistant makes me think that there is still a chance of him joining Arsenal.

Suitability for the job: 7/10

Probability: 5/10

The task of replacing Arsene Wenger at Arsenal is a herculean one but I think that these four managers have what it takes to push on from what Wenger has achieved at Arsenal.

Edited by Staff Editor