Germany or Italy? Arsene Wenger's Next Managerial Move

We're now several months into a new era at the Emirates, where former Paris Saint Germain and Sevilla boss Unai Emery has filled Arsene Wenger's shoes in a positive way, making up for two defeats at the start of the season to go unbeaten in their last seventeen games. He was brought into the club due to clear similarities between him and former boss Arsene Wenger, who both share a philosophy for holding onto their integrity in their playing style, as well as an eye for shrewd transfer business and profit.

Now that the Spaniard has instilled his vision upon Arsenal, former boss Arsene Wenger remains without a job, and we're yet to discover where the Premier League title winner could end up if he chooses to return to management.

Due to his nationality and the need for change with Unai Emery moving to Arsenal, it was first expected that Arsene Wenger would take the reigns at Paris Saint Germain, where he could set his own stamp on a side that are still building their credentials as a superpower among Europe's elite. This prospect fell by the wayside when former Borussia Dortmund boss Thomas Tuchel took on the job at PSG, but the bookies currently see a close tussle between Bayern Munich and AC Milan over Wenger.

The difference between each option is far more comparable than some football fans might realise. Bayern Munich are a club full of ageing players, but one where you'd be likely to win all of Germany's top awards under the correct guidance, and AC Milan still faltering in their attempts to return to the heights they once stood at several years ago, but with a significant injected of funds and an illustrious history, just as much reason to swap red and white for red and black.

Jupp Heynckes famously won the Bundesliga, the Champions League and the DFB-Pokal with Bayern Munich in 2013 before stepping down in order for Pep Guardiola to take his place. Upon Pep's departure to Manchester City in 2017, Heynckes returned to the Allianz Arena to manage Bayern for a fourth time, once again winning the title in his one and only attempt. He was over seventy when he won his last title in charge of the Bundesliga club, and with Arsene Wenger now sixty-nine, it could be a traditional philosophy that works best, rather than a young manager with new ideas on how to dominate.

If this is the case with Wenger, it could transpire that he walks into the job, only to end the season with every piece of silverware on offer. The only issue with that would be that he might be in search of a larger challenge, especially as he clearly stuck by Arsenal for far longer than other managers might have, so the opportunity at AC Milan would pose a long-term project with plenty of hard work needed. Bayern currently stand as favourites to replace Niko Kovac with Arsene Wenger, and even with the selection of ageing players in Germany, it's expected that he could get them back to winning ways through a proven structure, potentially derailing the current title charge seen by Lucien Favre's Borussia Dortmund.

There aren't any serious reports that link Arsene Wenger to AC Milan - and none that have proof of Genaro Gattuso's imminent sacking - but it was always expected that the club would eventually look to a more decorated manager to lead the Rossoneri into a bright future. The current fifth place position in the Serie A is an indication of how the finances aren't working with a man like Gattuso at the helm, and it's easy to see a man like Arsene Wenger stepping into the fold to push AC Milan back to where they deserve to be, or at least, it's certainly an interesting way of finishing the Frenchman's career.