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Austrian confirms talks with Arsenal – could he really replace Wenger?

By on December 2, 2016

RB Leipzig manager Ralph Hasenhuttl has confirmed he has held preliminary talks with Arsenal chiefs about the possibility of him replacing Arsene Wenger at the Emirates.

Wenger has just six months remaining on his current contract and with no extension signed as yet, speculation is mounting that this could be the Frenchman’s final year in North London.

If Arsene does decide to call it a day at the end of the season, it’s not going to be easy to replace a manager who’s spent 20 years at the club and many names have been put forward as potential successors in recent months.

However, the latest is that of RB Leipzig coach Ralph Hasenhuttl with reports this week in the media claiming that the Austrian boss has held discussions about the possibility of replacing Wenger at Arsenal.

Usually such stories are played down by all parties concerned, however, Hasenhuttl has surprisingly confirmed the reports after saying that it was a ‘well-researched story’ and there ‘was a lot of truth to it’.

The Austrian-born manager then dropped a hint that he’d be keen on the idea of coming to Arsenal after suggesting that replacing Wenger would do his reputation no harm at all.

Hasenhuttl is quoted as saying by the Mirror:

“It was a well-researched story,”

“There was a lot of truth to it. I have heard of worse fates than succeeding the longest-serving manager in England. It’s not damaging my reputation, is it?”

“We don’t have to put too much thought into it. I have found my luck here.”

Hasenhuttl has done a fantastic job at RB Leipzig since taking over last May having made his name at Ingolstadt where he led them to safety in the 2.Bundesliga before securing their first ever promotion to the top flight.

The 49-year-old is now taking on German giants Bayern Munich with Leipzig currently sitting top of the Bundesliga table – 3 points above Munich – having won 9 of their 12 games so far this season.

It’s going to be an extremely difficult job to follow Wenger. As we’ve seen at United, it’s practically impossible to fill the shoes of a man who’s been in charge for 20 years.

However, someone’s got to give it a go and if Hasenhuttl can continue to do well in Germany this season then he’ll certainly have put himself in a decent position to be in the running to replace Wenger, if the boss calls it a day in May.