Reputed French journalist Julien Laurens has revealed that Arsene Wenger is reluctant to step down from his head coach position at Arsenal at the end of the season.
The 68-year-old has received plenty of stick for the club’s poor showing since the turn of the year, but despite this, he is adamant that he is the right man for the job.
Speaking to ESPN FC via The Express, Laurens insisted that the French tactician has done a lot of harm to his reputation after prolonging his stay with the Gunners.
He added that Wenger is fearful of leaving the club before his expiry of his contract in 2019, as he believes that there may not be any big-club interest in his signature.
Laurens said: “Well I think he’s done a lot of damage to his reputation obviously. He keeps saying that he turned down the whole world to stay at Arsenal and to respect his contract.
“That’s his line anyway. But I’m just not sure what’s next for him. I think that’s the heart of the problem, that he’s scared of what’s coming next and that’s why he doesn’t.”
Wenger had been expected to improve the performances from the previous campaign after he was handed a fresh two-year extension last summer, but things have since gone pear-shaped.
The club are no longer regarded as genuine contenders for the top-four positions, and there is a visible lack of motivation within the squad.
Following the Brighton defeat last weekend, Arsenal are more or less out of the reckoning for the fourth-position where they trail Spurs by 13 points, and the Europa League phase is likely to be key to attaining Champions League football.
A recent report has suggested that Wenger’s future may lie on whether he guides the club to Europa League success or not, and it will be interesting to see how the hierarchy, which includes the unconcerned Stan Kroenke, acts on any failure in the summer.
