Arsenal have made contact with the three main candidates for the manager job as per reports in L’Equipe and if rumours are true, an announcement could be made within the next 2 weeks, possibly sooner. It will all be concluded once the board make a final choice and the club finalises the manager’s contract which is expected to be three years, with the option to extend.
At present, it seems that the Arsenal hierarchy are reluctant to commit to a longer contract in case the appointment fails to secure the expected turnaround in fortunes.
They are also trying to avoid a long term commitment to the incoming boss, having had such a long association with Wenger.
Three seasons would be an ideal period for the new man to prove himself and reshape the side but don’t expect a revolution overnight because limited funds will be made available and the board want to ensure that younger players from Arsenal’s academy are part of the plans for the new regime.
However, Sven Mislintat will be busy in the summer and has already identified key players who it’s felt can hit the ground running.
There are additional complications to the appointment of a new manager. Ivan Gazidis is preparing to remove the seemingly limitless powers enjoyed by Wenger and distribute them evenly across the new management structure.
It was felt that Wenger’s failure in part, could be attributed to the various distractions of running a major club at every level. Gazidis hopes to eradicate that from the manager’s workload so that he can concentrate on establishing a winning and competitive team.
Quite who the candidates are is still shrouded in secrecy and meetings will be arranged away from the Emirates until the point of an announcement or when negotiations are close to their conclusion.
Such is the level of expectation and speculation, that Gazidis is keen to avoid a media circus until he is close to securing his man. Discussions this week inside the Emirates are said to have been reasonably punishing but very productive. Progress was initially slow but the meetings established the final choice of candidates and now the real work begins.
It’s said that although Gazidis implied the process of selection could be lengthy, the board have agreed that by making a fairly swift appointment, the new boss will have longer to work with the squad and the clubs staff before the new season begins.
There would be absolutely no point of bringing in the new boss in late May or early June because of the adjustment and preparation period required for a club of Arsenal’s stature, plus it would hinder Arsenal’s pre-season plans significantly. The new manager’s arrival will also see Steve Bould and a number of other staff leave the club as the board attempt to refresh and revitalise the club at various levels.
