Arsene Wenger’s dedication to reform Arsenal and transforming them into a Premier League as well as European heavyweight is well-known to the football fanatics across the globe. Every fairytale has its ending and the attachment of more than two decades finally set to have its conclusion at the end of the ongoing campaign. The heart-warming farewell letter has brought tears to the Gunners fans’ eyes despite demanding his dismissal and the club will now have an uphill task to find a replacement of the iconic Frenchman who devoted his life to football and achieved unparalleled success in North London.
Wenger, however, feared a dismissal at the end of the campaign after failing to clinch a ‘top four’ finish for two consecutive seasons but still aiming a backdoor entry in next term’s Champions League competition by winning the Europa League title. He has recruited some top names in recent years and the new manager will be inheriting a decent squad to carry the Gunners forward. The name of Monaco’s Leonardo Jardim is being speculated for quite some time now and the odds of the Portuguese’s appointment is quite high due to obvious reasons.
Jardim achieved the epitome of success with his AS Monaco side who clinched the Ligue 1 title last season ahead of the mega-money French giants Paris St-Germain which indeed explains his managerial masterclass. He has been in charge of the Ligue 1 champions for four seasons now and earned attention in his maiden campaign by knocking down Arsenal from Champions League Round of 16 despite being the underdogs.
Jardim has nurtured several youngsters and guided them to become top talents of Europe. Kylian Mbappe has to be the greatest instance who had his development under the Portuguese tactician and now termed as the ‘next-gen’ superstar of France as well as world football. The Monégasques were forced to sell an array of their superstars in summer – Mbapped joined PSG, Tiemoue Bakayoko left for Chelsea, Bernardo Silva and Benjamin Mendy were acquired by Manchester City.
The Champions League semi-finalists last season saw them being knocked out from the group stages of this prestigious event this term and also failed to challenge PSG in defending the league title. They lost quality but recruited several potential names in the form of Youri Tielemans, Keita Balde Diao, Jordy Gasper, Adama Diakhaby etc to name a few.
Yet they have managed to keep hold of the runners-up place and have shown promises to be contesting for the league glory once again in coming days. Jardim, therefore, might be the perfect alternative to Arsene Wenger who is capable of carrying the baton forward for years to come.
