If Arsenal are to turn to one of their former players to replace Arsene Wenger this summer, who’s actually best equipped for the job?
Plenty of big names are reported to be in contention following Wenger’s shock announcement on Friday that he’ll step down as manager at the end of the season.
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The Sun have talked up Luis Enrique as a leading contender, while Le Parisien claim Carlo Ancelotti is keen on the job and ready to snub Chelsea to take it.
Still, could Arsenal be bold and go with a less experienced figure with a true connection with the club? There’s been some talk of Thierry Henry or Patrick Vieira, but how do the former Gunners currently in coaching look in terms of their current credentials?
We’ve ranked the top five from worst to best…
5) Dennis Bergkamp
One of the best players to ever set foot on a pitch in England, Dennis Bergkamp would be popular with some, but many also recognise he’s not currently experienced enough.
The Dutchman had a coaching stint at Ajax under Frank de Boer but has not found work since and surely needs to try his hand at managing a smaller side before he can hope to take a job like Arsenal.
4) Thierry Henry
An insightful pundit and with some coaching experience as Belgium assistant manager, but Thierry Henry is surely not there yet.
The Frenchman is up there with the greatest strikers of all time and remains Arsenal’s all-time leading goalscorer, but this is surely too big a job for him to take now.
Charismatic and charming as he is, Henry is yet to prove he can use that to truly pass on the wisdom he picked up from his playing days.
3) Mikel Arteta
Previously linked as a contender for the Arsenal job by the Daily Mirror, it’s thought former midfielder Mikel Arteta would be Wenger’s preferred option to succeed him.
The Spaniard was an intelligent footballer and good leader on the pitch during his playing days, and since hanging up his boots he’s been learning from the best as a member of Manchester City’s coaching team.
If anything from Pep Guardiola has rubbed off on Arteta he could be worth a gamble, but being the manager of a club is very different to his reduced role away from the spotlight at the moment.
2) Patrick Vieira
Another Arsenal legend linked with the job, there seems plenty of buzz about Patrick Vieira and the job he’s done with New York City FC.
Still, the Frenchman surely needs more experience in Europe before making the step up from American soccer to managing one of the big six in the Premier League.
Vieira was a superb player and leader when he captained the Gunners at his peak, and while he’s one of the better options of former players linked with the job, it’s still surely a little too soon for him too.
1) Giovanni van Bronckhorst
Not an Arsenal legend by any stretch, but Feyenoord boss Giovanni van Bronckhorst may be the most qualified of former Arsenal players out there right now.
The Dutchman has impressed with Feyenoord, guiding them to their first Eredivisie title for 18 years when they won it last season.
The Daily Star linked him as a possible option for the Gunners earlier this season but speculation has died down since, though the club could surely do worse if they want to bring a former player back to lead the team.