Wenger not keen amid Catalan link
Print Edition
ARSENE Wenger has played down speculation linking him with a move to Spanish champion Barcelona at the end of the season, saying his first preference would be to extend his stay at Arsenal.
Barcelona coach Luis Enrique has confirmed he will leave the club at the end of the current campaign and Wenger is among the bookmakers’ favorites to replace the Spaniard.
Sevilla’s Jorge Sampaoli, Athletic Bilbao’s Ernesto Valverde, Tottenham Hotspur boss Mauricio Pochettino and Everton’s Ronald Koeman are the other leading contenders.
“No, my preference is always the same, it will remain the same,” Wenger told reporters yesterday when asked if he was interested in the Barcelona job.
“I’ve been here 20 years and many times had the opportunity to leave. I don’t have to convince you my preference has always been Arsenal. I am not looking for jobs of other clubs or jobs of other people. I am just focusing on getting to the next level and try to improve.”
The annual outcry for Wenger’s head has grown louder than ever this season following Arsenal’s 1-5 defeat by Bayern Munich in the first leg of their last-16 clash in the UEFA Champions League last month.
Wenger, who is out of contract at the end of the season, gave his strongest hint in years that he could leave Arsenal in the wake of that defeat, saying he would definitely manage next season, but did not know if it would be “somewhere else”.
Wenger also said he would not be worried about the potential impact of making a statement about his future similar to Luis Enrique’s.
“I believe that the players have their targets, the team targets, and I don’t think that can be detrimental. It can be positive as well,” said the Frenchman, whose fourth-place side visits fifth-place Liverpool tomorrow.
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