The top five to replace Arsene Wenger as Arsenal manager

With The Gunners now in need of a new manager for next season, we look at the five frontrunners in the market to take the mantle…

The football world heard the shock news on Friday morning that Arsene Wenger is to depart The Emirates stadium at the end of the season.

The French supremo spent 22 years at the North London club, winning three Premier League titles, a record seven FA Cups and narrowly lost out to Barcelona in the 2006 Champions League final.

Wenger still could add to that list of honours with a Europa League winning swansong before the end of the campaign, but thoughts have already turned to who will have the unenviable task of replacing him after his legendary reign.

Here’s the current top five in the betting according to our expert football traders:

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Patrick Vieira – 10/3

This would be the sentimental choice for Gunners fans should their former midfield general return to take charge of the club.

He would be a popular decision given his contributions to the ‘Invincible’ season and he has managerial experience now, as he’s currently the boss of New York City FC in the MLS.

Carlo Ancelotti – 5/1

Got a busted major club? Then there’s only one man you reach out to if you want to sort it seemingly, and that’s Carlo Ancelotti.

The Italian’s CV boasts the likes of Juventus, AC Milan, Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich. So, pedigree is not an issue for this three-time Champions League winning boss, but his longevity could be a problem for the Arsenal board.

Thomas Tuchel – 6/1

Jurgen Klopp was always going to be a tough act to follow as Borussia Dortmund manager, but Thomas Tuchel made a decent fist of it, winning the German Cup last season.

He has been holding off for most of the season in search of a big opportunity and looked to be in the frame for the PSG job just this week. Could he be tempted across the English Channel instead of heading for the bright lights of Paris?

Leonardo Jardim – 15/2

As managerial prospects go Leonardo Jardim was about as hot as the inside of a volcano at the end of last season after leading a young, unfancied Monaco outfit to the semi-finals of the Champions League.

However, his star has started to wane of late and a 7-1 away defeat at PSG last week does raise a few question marks about his tactical nous.

Brendan Rodgers – 8/1

It would be a bolt from the blue if former Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers got a second shot at one of the Premier League’s big six.

However, he did get closer than any of his predecessors at The Reds to winning the league and the Northern Irishman pulled off his own ‘Invincible’ campaign at Celtic so, can you really rule it out?

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* All odds correct at time of posting.