Whoever replaces Arsene Wenger as Arsenal manager will have big shoes to fill.
After 22 years in charge, three Premier League titles and seven FA Cups, Wenger not only turned Arsenal into one of the world’s biggest football clubs, he also revolutionized the game in England.
In the latter years a section of Arsenal fans campaigned for the Frenchman to leave, and they got their wish Friday when the 68-year-old announced his intention to quit at the end of the season.
Former Arsenal goalkeeper David Seaman, who won two league titles under Wenger, hopes the club opts for an experienced manager with influence.
“What I want is an established manager that goes into the club and says, ‘I want this sort of money to buy these sorts of players,’” Seaman told CNN World Sport.
“I feel if someone goes in a little bit younger they won’t have the influence and it might just carry on the same way.”
We take a look at the list of managerial candidates who could replace the Frenchman in the Arsenal hot seat.
READ: ‘Wenger Out’ campaigners get their wish
READ: Arsene Wenger to leave Arsenal at the end of the season
Thomas Tuchel
Despite reports that former Borussia Dortmund manager Thomas Tuchel had already agreed to join French club Paris Saint-Germain at the end of the season, the German immediately became the bookies’ favorite to replace Wenger after his departure was announced.
Tuchel made his name with Mainz 05 in the Bundesliga, before moving to Borussia Dortmund in 2015 to replace Jurgen Klopp.
The 44-year-old endured a tumultuous time at the Westfalenstadion, winning the 2016-17 German Cup but leaving in acrimonious fashion just weeks later after falling out with the hierarchy.
That included a reportedly frosty relationship with Dortmund’s then head of recruitment Sven Mislintat, who has since moved to Arsenal to take up the same role.
Patrick Vieira
Currently second favorite for the job, Patrick Vieira has a rich history with Arsenal.
The Frenchman won three Premier League titles as a player at the club – including one as captain of the “Invincibles” side – and three FA Cups between 1996 and 2005.
Now manager of MLS side New York City FC, Vieira has even been touted as a replacement for Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, though Wenger said in his Thursday press conference that Vieira “has the potential” to one day manage Arsenal.
Thierry Henry
Another former player under Wenger at Arsenal, Henry became one of the world’s most feared strikers in his time at the club.
Despite his close relationship with Wenger and the club, Henry hasn’t shied away from criticizing both in his role as a TV pundit.
Henry is currently cutting his managerial teeth as an assistant to Belgium national team coach Roberto Martinez, his first coaching role in football.
However, he is an outsider to replace Wenger with odds of around 25/1.
Brendan Rodgers
Brendan Rogers is one of only a few managers touted to replace Wenger with Premier League experience.
The Northern Irishmen was in charge of Liverpool during their infamous collapse during the 2013-14 season, when they led the league before Steven Gerrard’s slip against Chelsea and a capitulation at Crystal Palace allowed Manchester City to win the title.
During his time in charge, he was praised for his attacking style of football and has carried that same philosophy into his new role as Celtic manager.
Rodgers led Celtic to a domestic treble in his first season in Glasgow, as the team went unbeaten on their way to lifting the Premiership, Scottish Cup and League Cup.
Carlo Ancelotti
Another of those with Premier League experience is Carlo Ancelotti.
The Italian, one of the most decorated managers in world football, coached Chelsea to a Premier League and FA Cup Double in 2009-10.
He most recently coached Bayern Munich but, after winning the Bundesliga in his first season, was sacked by the club following a poor start to the current campaign.
Ancelotti is the only manager to have won the Champions League three times, a competition which eluded Wenger in his time at Arsenal.
Diego Simeone
Diego Simeone will be in the opposite dugout when Arsenal face Atletico Madrid in the Europa League semifinals.
The Argentine, who has enjoyed an incredibly successful seven years in the Spanish capital, is many Arsenal fans’ favorite to take over the reigns.
After a glittering career as a player, Simeone learned his trade as a manager in Argentina before moving to Atleti in 2011.
He led “Los Colchoneros” to La Liga glory in 2013-14, breaking Barcelona and Real Madrid’s duopoly on the title, the Europa League in 2012 and has twice lost out to Real Madrid in the Champions League final.
Antonio Conte
One of the outsiders for the role, Antonio Conte’s name has been thrown into the mix as a product of his reportedly strained relationship with current club Chelsea.
After winning the Premier League in his first season in charge at the London club, Conte has been openly critical of the lack of investment in his team.
Sitting in fifth place, five points behind Tottenham and a Champions League place, the Italian is expected to leave the club at the end of the season.
