Arsenal news: Arsene Wenger can be sacked, admits Ivan Gazidis - but he's more likely to extend his contract
Wenger's contract is up for renewal next summer, and Gazidis believes there's life in the Arsenal manager yet to continue at the Emirates
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Your support makes all the difference.Arsenal chief executive Ivan Gazidis has insisted that the club’s board would not be afraid to sack Arsene Wenger if either side believed they could no longer deliver success together, but he has insisted that the manager remains the right man for the job at the Emirates and could stay beyond the expiry of his current contract.
Wenger has one year remaining on his contract with Arsenal, during which he will reach 20 years in charge of the club that he took over in October 1996. Having seen Arsenal to three Premier League titles and six FA Cup final victories during his tenure, Wenger is facing growing pressure to deliver a first title success in 13 years after this season’s failure to win a trophy.
Towards the end of the season, Wenger saw a small section of fans turn on him and protest against his position as manager, with banners and signs being displayed by the ‘Time For Change’ group – although they were largely drowned out by those who still support Wenger during home matches at the Emirates.
There has been the suggestion that Wenger will never be sacked at Arsenal given all he has done at the club, but in an interview with The Telegraph, Gazidis revealed that not even the Frenchman is safe should they no longer believe that success is possible with him at the helm.
“There is not nostalgia on either side,” Gazidis said. “It’s not what motivates us or him. The reason we have Arsene as our manager is because our board believes he can deliver success. The reason that Arsene is here is because he believes that he can deliver success. If either of us didn’t believe that we would not be constrained by nostalgia or longing; we would have to make a change. Arsene would understand and support that. But it’s just not how either side feels. We feel we are on a good path.”
Despite Arsenal sticking by Wenger, there remains the question of Wenger’s eventual retirement – should it come at Arsenal or elsewhere. At 66 years old, Wenger is now the oldest manager in the Premier League following Guus Hiddink’s departure from Chelsea, and as he closes in on his 20th anniversary of becoming Arsenal manager, the next longest-serving manager in the top flight is currently Eddie Howe of Bournemouth, having been with the Cherries for three years and 233 days.
Gazidis understands that Arsenal have a monumental challenge on their hands to replace Wenger, having seen what has unfolded at Manchester United since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement, but he hinted that Wenger could yet extend his contract should the 2016/17 season prove fruitful and believes that Wenger still has it in him to continue at the highest levels of management.
“He’s in his mid-sixties, it’s natural to think about when his time here might come to an end, but the truth is nobody knows,” Gazidis said. “He is in fantastic shape. He is deeply engaged and excited. One of the biggest challenges we will face is the transition, whenever it happens, but that is not something we are going to be facing imminently. Obviously, he is going to be managing us next year and we are planning and making many decisions for the long term.
“The reality is we wouldn’t leave things until the last minute. I’m comfortable both that if Arsene is going to extend we will know that and if, whenever that is, he is going to come to an end, that he will give us the time that we need to prepare for that transition. The relationship with Arsene is very deep. It will be done behind closed doors and we will have our transition plans well worked out.
“He has always put the long-term health of the club first. He wants to hand over a football club, whenever that it is, that is in great shape. He views that as a massively important part of his legacy. But we are just not in that mode. I know Arsene wouldn’t stay on if he thought the club wasn’t heading in a good direction and thought he wouldn’t be able to deliver what the fans want.”
Gazidis has often been criticised – along with Wenger and majority shareholder Stan Kroenke – for not spending enough money in the transfer window to sign the best players, with last summer’s example of not acquiring a single outfield player used against the trio to explain Arsenal missing out on the Premier League title to Leicester.
But the club have already sealed the signing of Switzerland midfielder Granit Xhaka, and the club remain active in the transfer market with strong links to Juventus striker Alvaro Morata, who caught Wenger’s interest two years ago and remains a target of the Frenchman.
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