Pep Guardiola. Most football fans would rank him amongst the very best football coaches in the world. Yes he has had some exceptional squads to coach, but his achievements cannot be questioned.
Currently the manager of Arsenal’s Champions League opponents Bayern Munich, Guardiola has said he could never ‘do a Wenger’ and stay at a club for such a long time.
“That’s almost impossible.” Guardiola told the press.
“The fans would be bored with their coach. No chance. He (Wenger) is an exception. I cannot imagine that.”
With Arsene Wenger’s contract expiring at the end of the season, many fans are holding out hope for Guardiola, or at least someone of his calibre to take over. It’s extremely likely that Arsenal and Wenger are already in talks / on the hunt for the Frenchman’s successor.
Wenger hinted at the clubs AGM that his current contract could be his last, meaning he will leave the club at the end of next season. If that is the case, you can expect the search for a new manager to be well under way, perhaps Guardiola is being groomed? Pep’s comments indicate that he may be looking to move on from the German champions in a couple of years.
But of course, if Pep becomes available he will be in high demand. Both Manchetser sides are likely to take an interest, with Louis van Gaal not one for the long term commitment.
If Guardiola did take over at Arsenal he would have to work harder to achieve the heights he has at other clubs. The world class additions of Petr Cech, Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil will have gone someway to helping, and perhaps before Arsene leaves, over the next couple of years the Gunners can add one or two more.