Arsene Wenger took charge of his final game as Arsenal boss on Sunday, and now the focus will slowly begin to switch to appointing his successor.
The Frenchman steps down after 22 years at the helm, and so it will certainly be a tough job for his replacement as there will undoubtedly be a tricky transitional period as they try to implement their changes.
As noted by The Guardian, Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri has been on the shortlist of candidates, as he celebrated his fourth consecutive Serie A title triumph on Sunday night, while having already secured his fourth straight Coppa Italia win last week.
In turn, he certainly has the experience, pedigree and winning track record to be considering a top choice for the Arsenal job, but unfortunately for Gunners fans who were hoping to welcome the Italian tactician to the Emirates this summer, it doesn’t sound as though he has any intention of leaving Turin.
“Will I stay at Juve? Yes. I have a contract to honour,” he is quoted as saying by The Mirror. “If they don’t sack me, I’ll stay at Juventus next year too.”
Given their successful run under his stewardship, there’s simply no reason for Juventus to sack Allegri, and so it sounds as though he’ll remain in charge next season. That in turn will force Arsenal to look elsewhere, assuming that they were indeed interested in the former AC Milan boss.
On one hand, it’s easy to understand Allegri’s decision. Why would he want to leave given the successful cycle he has built at Juve, one that still has plenty of trophies left in it?
In contrast, having been so dominant for the past four years, some may have believed that he could be ready for a new challenge. Arsenal would certainly have tested him as a coach given their drop off over the last two years.