Arsenal legend urges Wenger to step aside for new top-class manager

Pep Guardiola is reported to have told friends that Lionel Messi will be “central to his plans” if he takes over at Manchester City.

Guardiola announced right before Christmas that he will not renew his contract with the Bundesliga juggernauts, and with several potential openings in the Premier League it seemed to be a given that England would be Pep’s next port of call. The British press have gone into overdrive since then, speculating whether he will be going to Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea, or Arsenal.

The outgoing Bayern Munich manager looks 90 per cent set for Manchester City but with Chelsea now managerless and Manchester United possibly going the same way, the competition for Guardiola’s signature is really hotting up.

“I think that if you are the owner of a club, you must have the option to replace the manager if they win the title or if they don’t win the title”.

“It’s exciting if in the end he comes to the Premier League“.

Van Gaal also offered his backing to returning winger Adan Januzaj, who cut short his loan deal with Borussia Dortmund to return to United.

The Manchester Evening News speculated last month that Manchester City were plotting a record offer in the summer for the Argentine, with goalkeeper Willy Caballero explaining his confidence the club have the financial power to pull it off.

“I have an opportunity to work in England”.

Regardless of whomever his eventual successor will be, Wenger added that: “I can only make sure of one thing, that the guy who comes after me finds the club in a very good position, with very good players and a very good financial situation”.

His budget will be formidable, no doubt, but it is still maybe not the kind of job to be undertaken by someone suffused by a recurring need for a new environment.

Barcelona and Bayern Munich were careful choices, ones that gave him a great chance of success.

But City are the bookmakers’ favourites, with Guardiola having previously worked with City’s chief executive Ferran Soriano and director of football Txiki Beguiristain during his time at Barca.

Centre-back Pique returned to Barca, his boyhood club, from Manchester United back in 2008, and the 28-year-old is now a vital player at the Camp Nou.