You have some Arsenal FC transfer rumors circulating in the Twitterverse, blogosphere and media world this international break, but the big one starts at the top. Manager Arsene Wenger has said that he’s made up his mind about what he’s going to do at the end of this season when his contract expires, but he claims that he hasn’t informed anyone, not even the club itself of what that decision will be.
There have been consistent stories floating around out there that he is set to stay on for two more seasons at Arsenal, but that hasn’t been verified at true as of now. (side note, Wenger has also said the story indicating he was going to Paris Saint-Germain is “fake news.”)
In terms of potential Wenger successors, many names have been tossed about, including club legend Thierry Henry. The Frenchman and former Gunners forward was asked about the the Arsenal boss uncertainty, and if he thinks he will replace Arsene Wenger; and if he wants to.
“Yes, but it’s not up to me. There are things you have to respect. When I say I want to coach them … it’s the club of my heart, yes, but that doesn’t mean you have a right, that it’s due to you,” Thierry Henry told told Canal Plus.
“I hear [my name linked to replacing Arsene Wenger], but it’s difficult for me to talk about that — once again I come back to the same thing — I have enormous respect for the coach and what he has done.” (transcript of quotes via ESPN FC)
“People are going to speak, you can’t stop people speaking. I’m preparing myself with the Belgium team. Will I be ready or not ready? I don’t know, no-one knows. I have to learn the job.”
“I just try to gather information, a lot of information, to perhaps eventually be a good coach, but it’s not an objective. I’ve never set a goal in my head.
“I would like to be a coach, and I’ll do everything to be that, but I don’t say to myself that I’ll be a coach in two years or that I’ll be a coach in a year. I don’t know. Now, I’m in a learning phase.”
Thus, nothing conclusive either way. Seems like the Arsene Wenger question, and subsequently the Thierry Henry replacement idea are only in “watch this space” mode right now.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net and TheBank.News, partnered with FOX Sports Engage Network. and News Now. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times and NBC Chicago.com, contributes to Chicago Tribune.com, Bold, WGN CLTV and KOZN.
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