Harry Redknapp has said Thierry Henry can succeed Arsene Wenger as Arsenal manager, while Yaya Sanogo is expected to leave the club at the end of the season
Harry Redknapp says Thierry Henry should succeed Arsene Wenger
Former Tottenham Hotspur manger Harry Redknapp has said Thierry Henry is the ideal candidate to succeed Arsene Wenger when the Frenchman departs. Wenger’s future has been the subject of heavy speculation in recent weeks as the manager has refused to be drawn on whether or not he will stay at the Emirates beyond this season.
The Frenchman is out of contract in the summer and many think that he is coming to the end of his 20-year reign at the Emirates. He has come under pressure in recent seasons for failing to deliver major honours and the Emirates has been a hostile environment at times.
There have even been banners at the stadium calling for Wenger to step down at the end of the season and while the Frenchman has run down his contracts before signing a new one on a few occasions in the past, a lot of signs point to him exiting in the summer.
Redknapp feels that the board will never ask the legendary Frenchman to leave the club and that Wenger himself will likely take the decision. He also thinks the Gunners should take a risk on Thierry Henry when they choose a successor.
“I think it will be his decision, I don’t ever see them [the board] pushing him out,” he said, according to Shoot. “I think he has got so much control and power there. I think Arsene will go when he feels it is time. But, you just hope, because he has been such a great manager, that he doesn’t overstay his welcome.”
“You can see the fans turning on him, he doesn’t deserve that. But sometimes you have got to think that maybe it is time to go and move on.” When asked who he would pick to replace Wenger, Redknapp simply said “Thierry Henry.”
Henry was working as a coach for the strikers with Arsenals U18 side while completing his UEFA A License course, but was asked to leave as Wenger felt his role as a pundit for Sky Sports was conflicting with his role as a coah.
The former Arsenal striker is now the second assistant manager under Roberto Martinez with the Belgian national team and is set to complete his badges as he works with the side. While Henry could easily become a great manager in time, it is hard to see Arsenal appointing him as manager given the magnitude of the job and his relative inexperience.
The Gunners have been linked with a host of names and while none of them have such a bond with the club, all of them are far more qualified for the Emirates hot seat than Thierry Henry currently is.
Yaya Sanogo to leave Arsenal in the summer
According to the Daily Mail, Yaya Sanogo is set to leave Arsenal in the summer with Ligue 1 side AS Saint Etienne said to be interested in signing him. The Frenchman has not made a single appearance for the Gunners this season.
Sanogo joined Arsenal in 2013 on a free transfer from Auxerre and was nominated for the Golden Boy award in his first season at the club despite injuring his back and missing several weeks of the campaign.
He was surprisingly given a start in the UEFA Champions League round of 16 home leg against Bayern Munich ahead of Olivier Giroud who was dealing with issues off the pitch at the time, and while many praised his performance in that match he has not looked like a player who can succeed at Arsenal since then.
The 24-year old has had several loan spells away from the club as well in a bid to aid his development. He has spent time with Crystal Palace, Ajax and Charlton Athletic but failed to really make a mark on any of those sides during his time there.
He is clearly surplus to requirements at Arsenal and it will be no surprise to see him depart the club at the end of the season. He will have left having made 20 appearances in total for the Gunners during his time in North London.
