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Football

01st May 2018

Arsène Wenger turns down PSG job, with his eyes on international position

The timing couldn't be better

Reuben Pinder

He’ll be on the market come the summer

Since the announcement that Arsène Wenger will be stepping down from his position as Arsenal manager, there has inevitably been plenty of speculation regarding his next venture. For a man so immersed in life at Arsenal, and such a football obsessive, it would be difficult for him to step away from the game for good. Surely then, he will be seeking new opportunities and it seems that he’ll have a decent array of options.

Paris Saint-Germain seems like a good fit; he would return to his native France and – barring a disaster – he would win the league comfortably. However, this move now appears unlikely with former Borussia Dortmund boss Thomas Tuchel reported to be the man to succeed Unai Emery at the Parc des Princes.

Wenger could therefore turn towards international management, as the Daily Star report that he is keen on taking over from Didier Deschamps as France manager.

Deschamps has held the post for six years now and could be on his way out after this summer’s World Cup. Wenger has reportedly been offered the job many times before during his 22 years as Arsenal boss, but the timing could not be better than now.

The Star’s report suggests that Wenger is keen on rebuilding the national set-up and tempted by the fact that the pressure would be nowhere near as intense as his final years at the Emirates.

Arsenal, meanwhile, are keen on bringing in Juventus boss Maximiliano Allegri to fill the vacancy left by Wenger this summer.