Arsenal have reportedly drawn up a four-man shortlist of contenders to succeed Arsene Wenger if the veteran manager quits at the end of the season after more than 20 years in charge.
Wenger has yet to reveal what his intentions are but with disquiet in the stands and his contract set to expire at the end of another disappointing campaign, his possible replacements have been identified.
So who are the front runners to take over at the Emirates?
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Thomas Tuchel
The 43-year-old German took over from Jurgen Klopp at Borussia Dortmund at the start of last season and picked up where the current Liverpool boss left off, maintaining a similar style and guiding the team to second place in the Bundesliga.
"Tuchel's high-energy style of play could take Arsenal up an intensity level or two," says the Daily Telegraph. But the newspaper adds: "The difficulties Klopp is having at Liverpool should be noted – the two are very similar in how they view the game and though Tuchel's team plays nice football, he's yet to win anything."
ODDS: 4-1
Massimiliano Allegri
"Allegri has enjoyed near-total dominance of Italian football since replacing Antonio Conte as Juventus' manager in 2014. Under his guidance, the Bianconeri have won two Serie A titles, two Coppa d'Italia's and reached the 2015 Champions League final," says The Independent.
He could also be available in the summer, says The Sun: "Allegri’s strained relationship with the Italian press means he will almost certainly leave his post with Bianconeri at the end of the season. [And] his agent is understood to have been in contact with Arsenal about the prospect of replacing Wenger."
ODDS: 3-1
Roger Schmidt
The Bayer Leverkusen manager cut his teeth with Red Bull Salzburg in Austria, where he achieved a league and cup double, and "has won many admirers for his entertaining brand of football", says Yahoo. But he might rock the boat. "Outspoken and sometimes volatile, once banned for calling another manager a nutcase, he could perhaps be a bit too much of a maverick for the Gunners’ liking."
According to the Daily Mirror he is the "surprise inclusion" on the shortlist.
ODDS: 9-1
Leonardo Jardim
Not a household name, but Arsenal fans may remember how his Monaco side knocked Arsenal out of the Champions League two years ago. The Venezuelan has also guided his team to the top of Ligue 1 in France, above Paris Saint-Germain. Like Schmidt, he has raised the profile of his club, says The Sun.
ODDS: 12-1
Eddie Howe
The Bournemouth boss is not on the Gunners shortlist but has been touted as a potential successor to Wenger and could be in the frame if Arsenal decide to appoint an Englishman. He "encourages young players to get better, has his team punching above their weight and took tiny Bournemouth all the way from League Two to the Premier League," says the Telegraph. "[He] could well be an excellent long-term replacement for Wenger."
ODDS: 4-1
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