Those hoping to see how good Zlatan Ibrahimovic could be in an Arsene Wenger system will be disappointed to hear that the Frenchman has ruled out a move to Paris Saint-Germain.
The Arsenal manager dismissed speculation linking him to the Parisian club on Friday insisting that he still loves life at the Emirates. After yet another stressful season in North London where Wenger’s media-based dissentors laid attacks left, right and center, reports suggested the Frenchman could be in line for a return to his homeland. From failing to land a trophy yet again (Spurs fans will have you know it’s been 7 years, 11 months and 11 days) to an increasingly frosty relationship with fans, many believed Wenger had hit his tipping point.
Instead, he’s looking to extend his reign. When queried about his future, the manager said: “I respect my contracts. Football excites me... my love for this club excites me.” And when questioned about extending his stay in North London, Wenger was optimistic and inviting, explaining: “I want to stay if I do well, if the club considers I do well.”
Wenger also touched upon the tumultuous season the club has had and his positive outlook going forward. “I want this club to do well,” the manager said. “We have gone through a sensitive period but I believe the club is in a good position for the future.”
So the question becomes - will Wenger ever leave Arsenal? If he’s not willing to go to PSG the answer looks more and more likely to be, ‘no’. At the age of 63 years old there are few jobs that could spark Wenger’s interest more than PSG - a French based club with infinite resources and, of course, Zlatan. Perhaps the only other club one could foresee him leaving the Gunners for would be Barcelona. But even that job doesn’t seem to line up well with Wenger’s goals.
He doesn’t appear to be bothered by things like money and fame. He also doesn’t seem to be excited at the idea of starting over. When he talks about Arsenal he speaks with passion and dedication: “I do my job with a lot of commitment and a lot of loyalty.” These are words seldom heard from managers and ones that the Arsenal board would do well to appease.
Someday Wenger inevitably will leave the North London club. But when it happens it looks likely to be for one of two things: retirement or to take a crack at coaching Les Blues. Wouldn’t that be interesting?
