Should Arsene Wenger come back to Arsenal?

Wenger

By Jonny Bray

In the past week, Mikel Arteta has publicly spoken about his desire to see club legend Arsene Wenger return to the club in some capacity.

For those who need reminding, the Frenchman guided the Gunners to three Premier League titles and seven FA Cups during his 22 years in charge.

But does that mean the icon of the Premier League should still be calling the shots at Arsenal in a position of any significance?

After his calls for The World Cup to be played every two were soundly rejected by football fans across the country, many might even argue that his time is done and that he has little left to offer English football.

What positions could he fill?

Let's be honest, the position Wenger is most suited to is also the position he'd least like to fill.

Wenger would be perfect in an ambassadorial role with Arsenal, representing the club abroad and negotiating for player transfers.

He's always known how to attract talented players and speak to them like human beings, but he is also a giant figure of the game who could help grow the club and negotiate things such as sponsorship deals.

However, Arteta emphasised that he would like Wenger to be working much closer to him this week, suggesting he could return in a different type of role.

This would be a mistake, in my opinion.

Of course, there's the stereotypical argument that it's challenging to step out of a legendary manager's shadow; see Don Revie or Sir Alex Ferguson, but it goes well beyond that.

Arteta has finally carved a new path for himself at Arsenal.

The club is starting to grow and move on, and it feels like Wenger's return could be a step backwards.

Arteta

What would he bring?

If he were to return to the club in a position of significant power, he'd undoubtedly bring experience.

He may not have taken any jobs since he departed from The Emirates back in 2018, but the man probably has more football knowledge than most people on the planet.

Time would tell if he could apply that knowledge to a positive end for Arsenal, but it can only help to have such an experienced servant of the game around, especially when our manager is so young.

His return would also signal a desire to keep the club in close contact with its legends.

This would be a significant shift away from the current approach, which has seen several stars of the past be shunned by the club for criticising the board or the players.

It's easy to forget, but when Wenger left, he said his treatment by the fans was very brutal and very hard.

Appointing him in a role at the club would go some way to repairing that damage.

Should he return?

In theory, it's a great idea to bring Wenger back in some sort of ambassadorial role.

He would be a great asset to the club and to Arteta, who could use his former boss as a tool in recruiting young, exciting prospects.

However, it would be crucial that Wenger's arrival does not upset the apple cart too much when the club finally seems to be getting back on track.

Furthermore, it would be a shame if his return went badly, and his reputation and legacy at the club took any further damage.

So if it's an ambassadorial role, then yes, but if Wenger is to have any significant power, then no.
Photo Credit: Getty Images

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