Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger’s new deal will make him a laughing stock… he should have left after FA Cup triumph
Gunners boss has agreed another lucrative new contract and the club are expected to make the announcement tomorrow
FOOTBALL’S worst kept secret is finally out – Arsene Wenger is staying at Arsenal, and he’s staying for the next two years.
In the most tumultuous season of the Frenchman’s 21 years in charge, he’s managed to cling on to power, despite an increasing core of supporters demanding the club sack their most successful ever manager.
But in hanging onto his job against the odds, Wenger is missing yet another perfect opportunity to walk away on a high.
The majority of this season has seen people talk about the chance Wenger missed not to quit after winning the FA Cup in 2014 or 2015.
Having won it once again last weekend, now could have been the perfect time to bow out.
Yet Wenger will stay, and risks his already damaged legacy becoming further tarnished at a time when the Premier League has never been so competitive.
In the perhaps hardest and most brutal campaign to date, Arsenal broke with their principles to spend big money on the likes of Granit Xhaka and Shkodran Mustafi, but still only managed 5th.
Next year will be even harder, and it seems implausible that without huge change, Arsenal won’t do better.
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The top four are all set to get much better, with Chelsea and Man City already working on deals, while Liverpool and Spurs’ young sides will improve.
Then look at the teams below Arsenal; Manchester United are gearing up for an ambitious summer, while Everton will spend big.
A Premier League trophy looks further away than ever, while it’s hard to imagine Arsenal taking the Europa League seriously, so another year of frustration and disappointment looks imminent.
Wenger will feel like he’s won the battle with the board to stay put, but he may end up being the loser after missing the perfect chance to bow out.