Next England manager: FA face a battle to land Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger
The FA face an uphill battle to appoint Arsene Wenger as England manager should they formalise their interest in him this summer.
Wenger is about to enter the final year of his contract and Standard Sport understands Arsenal are ready to offer the 66-year-old an extension if they start the season well.
He came under pressure from a significant section of fans last season after Arsenal fell short again in the Premier League title race, finishing second behind Leicester.
Both Wenger and the board are relaxed about the situation and were happy to wait until the new campaign is under way to gauge the mood on all sides but Arsenal will seek assurances sooner rather than later with the FA now searching for Roy Hodgson’s successor.
FA chief executive Martin Glenn claimed on Tuesday they would be prepared to wait to appoint a new manager, raising the prospect that Wenger could continue his record of always seeing out contracts in full before taking charge of England.
However, it is believed a clear, first-choice candidate has not yet been identified as there was no contingency plan put in place to identify possible replacements for Hodgson.
Glenn, technical director Dan Ashworth and vice-chairman David Gill, have only just begun the process and although Wenger will be among those under consideration, there are a series of obstacles to overcome. Publicly, the Frenchman has repeatedly stated that the England job should be the domain of an Englishman. He has rejected overtures from the FA on at least one occasion on this basis.
His wages would also be another obstacle. Should Wenger announce his intention to leave Arsenal — and it is thought he remains genuinely undecided on his future beyond 2017 — a string of clubs would be ready to match or even surpass his package, worth close to £8million-a-year.
Hodgson’s £3.5m-a-year salary was higher than any other manager at Euro 2016 but less than the £4m annually paid to his predecessor Fabio Capello.
Wenger is also acutely aware of the pressure of the job having spent nearly 20 years in London. Those close to Wenger believe he is sceptical of leaving one job where he faced fierce criticism for another in which success has been a long-desired but rarely satisfied ambition.
Wenger’s track record, knowledge of the English game and experience in developing young players with an attractive brand of football make him an appealing option, especially given the FA are considering the idea of appointing an older figurehead to work alongside a younger manager.
However, Wenger is notoriously autonomous in his management style and the FA’s initial choice to work as an interim boss with a view to future succession — Gareth Southgate — has indicated he is not interested in the vacancy.
ArticleFA face a battle to land Arsenal boss Arsene WengerArsene WengerEngland Football TeamArsenal fc