SM
Sports Mole words bigger AMP 2
Portsmouth vs. Millwall: 9 hrs 46 mins
Upcoming predictions and previews

Arsene Wenger distances himself from Newcastle United speculation

:Headline: Arsene Wenger distances himself from Newcastle United speculation: ID:363128: from db_amp
The Frenchman led Arsenal to three Premier League titles and seven FA Cup wins.
Arsene Wenger distances himself from Newcastle speculation

Arsene Wenger has admitted he is not yet ready to return to football after being linked with the soon-to-be-vacant manager's job at Newcastle.

The 69-year-old Frenchman, who ended his 22-year reign as Arsenal boss in May last year, has been out of the game since and is one of a series of names to have been mentioned as the Magpies look for a replacement for Rafael Benitez after announcing he will leave the club when his contract expires on Sunday.

However, Wenger is not planning an imminent comeback despite revealing he thought he might be ready to resume his career after a season-long break.

Asked if there was a chance he would be back on the sidelines this season, he told France 24: "Not in the near future, no. I still am not ready to go back. I thought 'Yes', but I don't think at the moment I will come back.

"I'm more open now than a year ago to talk about that, but I cannot tell you that in the next two, three days, I will go into management again.

"I took a little bit of distance and I enjoyed it. I worked for 35 years without any interruptions, so I think I deserved a little rest."

Wenger worked in France and Japan before his hugely successful spell with the Gunners, which yielded three Premier League titles and seven FA Cups, and hinted that he might consider working in a different country.

Rangers manager Steven Gerrard has been linked with the forthcoming vacancy at Newcastle (Andrew Milligan/PA)

He said: "Well, I would prefer to try another country, although my preferred time was in England because the Premier League is the place to be at the moment.

"But for me, it's very difficult because I have been for so long at the same club. But why not? I still need a bit of time to pass and then maybe make the decision."

Wenger is the latest established manager to distance himself from the Newcastle speculation with sources close to Jose Mourinho having also played down the link.

Managing director Lee Charnley is currently drawing up a shortlist – potential candidates are thought to include Rangers boss Steven Gerrard, Manchester City's number two Mikel Arteta and former Feyenoord manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst – although his task is complicated by the ongoing uncertainty over the club's ownership.

Newcastle owner Mike Ashley is looking to sell the club (Owen Humphreys/PA)

Current owner Mike Ashley's representatives have been engaged in talks with a series of potential buyers in recent weeks with the Dubai-based Bin Zayed Group having gone public with their interest, but PA understands no deal is imminent.

In the circumstances, Ashley is looking for any indication that an agreement can be reached, which would perhaps take the managerial issue out of his hands, although the formal process of completion would take several weeks.

The club's players are due back for pre-season training next week, while the summer transfer window has already been open for almost six weeks.

That might mean a short-term bridging appointment, but should the Sports Direct tycoon decide a takeover is unlikely, he will be faced with the prospect of having to find a permanent manager prepared to work under the well-publicised restrictions which ultimately prompted Benitez's exit.

amp_article__363128 : Database Data restored...  : 
last updated article - 2019-06-27 13:12:55:
html db last update - 2019-06-27 13:12:55 :

ex - 7200 : read : read cache amp html

Click here for more stories about Arsene Wenger

Click here for more stories about Arsenal

Share this article now:
Recommended Next on SM
Premier League Table
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool22165154213353
2Arsenal23138244212347
3Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest2313553327644
4Manchester CityMan City23125647301741
5Newcastle UnitedNewcastle23125641271441
6Chelsea23117545301540
7Bournemouth23117541261540
8Aston Villa2310763435-137
9Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton2381053531434
10Fulham238963431333
11Brentford2394104240231
12Manchester UnitedMan Utd2385102832-429
13Crystal Palace236982630-427
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham2376102844-1627
15Tottenham HotspurSpurs2373134637924
16Everton225891928-923
17Leicester CityLeicester2345142549-2417
18Wolverhampton WanderersWolves2344153252-2016
19Ipswich TownIpswich2337132147-2616
20Southampton2313191653-376
Scroll for more - Tap for full version


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
AL
Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!

Loading ...

Failed to load data.



. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .