Massimiliano Allegri, the current Juventus boss has been in talks with the officials from Arsenal for over three months and will replace the Frenchman if he decides to step down at the end of the season, reports suggest.
The Italian is now reportedly waiting for Arsene Wenger to make up his mind whether or not he wants to sign a two-year extension to his contract that is on the table.
Arsenal have been shambolic of late. A 5-1 drubbing by Bayern Munich over at the Allianz arena, followed by a 3-1 loss to rivals Liverpool has blown Arsenal’s season wide open. The Football Association Challenge Cup (FA Cup) seems to be their only hope of winning any silverware this season.
Yet this is not a one off for the club. Arsenal seem to be stuck in a loop. A loop which has seen the London giant slowly makes its transition from being title contenders to a club ridden with mediocrity.
The man who has guided this club through its highs and lows has been the Frenchman Wenger.
A passionate and diligent servant to the club, Wenger has won over 3 premier league titles and 6 FA Cup’s over a span of 20 years. While some at the Arsenal camp want him to stay the other half seem to have had enough. Wenger has always made sure that the club is financially sound and even overlooked the shift of the club from the Highbury to the larger and better equipped Emirates stadium.
Yet his lack of spending in the market is something that has been criticised by many and has even irked his staunchest of supporters. Wenger has taken some questionable decisions over his career and has more often than not seen his star players leave for high prices but has never bought in someone to fill the void. That changed though when Wenger made the big money signings of Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez over successive seasons.
Even with their inclusion Arsenal have seemed out of sorts. A lack of passion and the drive to succeed seems to be missing from the club. The oxymoron that they have been consistently inconsistent seems to fit the bill when it comes to Arsenal.
The charismatic French has always had the backing of the Arsenal board because he runs the club they want him to. A top four finish and an occasional or FA Cup triumph is not what the supporters want. As an ambitious club the fans want to see changes. They want to see their club challenging for the Premier League title and even the Champions League.
Wenger said in a statement a few weeks ago that he wishes to stay for at least another year but for things to change Arsenal must inject some new blood into the club. Someone who can instill some passion and make the club believe that they can challenge the elite.
Allegri is an experienced campaigner and has already shown that he can lead a top team. His work at Juventus has been commendable. From taking over the reigns from Conte to stabalising the club after the departure of Paul Pogba, Allegri has proved he has what it takes to lead a top club. A tactical mastermind and a man who is passionate about his football, the Italian will be the perfect fit for Arsenal if Wenger decides to step down at the end of this season.
(With inputs from The Daily Express)