Would Koeman be a good choice as next Arsenal boss?

Everton boss Ronald Koeman is being linked with the Arsenal job

According to the Daily Mirror, Arsenal have made Ronald Koeman their prime target to replace Arsene Wenger in the summer, if the veteran Frenchman leaves the club when his contract expires.

The Gunners are once again in a battle to secure a top-four spot this season. On Saturday evening the side from north London suffered a blow in that battle, as they suffered a 3-1 defeat at rivals Liverpool.

All will depend on Wenger’s decision

Club stalwart Wenger has a new two-year contract waiting for him. However, it is reported that he will not make a decision about his future until the end of the campaign. It seems the majority of Arsenal fans are in favour of the Frenchman leaving the club.

Wenger is almost like part of the furniture at Arsenal. Unfortunately, he is like that expensive sofa that was great for its first couple of years but is now looking tired and worn out from daily use.

The Arsenal board have become comfortable with just finishing in the top four in the last decade. The club’s hierarchy are happy, as it keeps lining their pockets with money. However, what if Arsenal do not finish in the top four this season?

What if the team finish in fifth or sixth place? Will the Arsenal hierarchy still be so keen on the Frenchman keeping his job then? I highly doubt it. If that does happen I do not believe it is out of the realms of possibility that Wenger’s contract offer is withdrawn.

Arsenal could have competition from Barcelona

It seems that Arsenal could have competition from Spanish champions Barcelona for the Everton boss. Koeman is an icon at the Catalan club and they are known to hire bosses with a previous connection to the club.

Koeman has done a decent job at Southampton and Everton since his arrival in England near three years ago. He has endured a mixed managerial career, though.

It keeps being reported that Koeman would like to manage Barcelona one day. The Dutchman seems to be in the running for the job according to the noises coming out of Spain. Whether he will be chosen ahead of Sevilla’s Jorge Sampaoli or Athletic Bilbao’s Ernesto Valverde remains to be seen.

A move to Arsenal would no doubt appeal to Koeman, who is not exactly known for his loyalty after leaving Southampton to join Everton last summer. He is not regarded as a boss who will stay at a club for the long-term, even in the modern days of bosses not lasting very long at clubs.

The former Feyenoord boss always seems to have his eye on his next job. Both clubs have their lure, but if it comes down to a straight choice between the two there would be only one winner.

Wenger is likely to stay at Arsenal

The bookmakers do not seem to believe that Koeman will be the next Arsenal boss, as he is currently odds of 20/1 to be the next man in the Gunners hot seat.

For me, I cannot see Arsene Wenger leaving the club in the summer anyway. The Frenchman has made it clear that he would prefer to stay at Arsenal and continue in the role. This seems likely, as long as the Gunners achieve their annual top-four finish this season.

Wenger seems to believe that he can move the club forward. However, recent history suggests that the Gunners are just stagnating. If you are not moving forward you are standing still and that is what Arsenal have done for more than a decade.

A host of bosses have been linked with the job at Arsenal, Max Allegri, Leonardo Jardim and Thomas Tuchel are just some of the bosses being linked with the job. Koeman is just the latest of those bosses seemingly heading to the Emirates.

Whatever happens in the summer, Arsenal fans will be hoping that their team can mount a serious title challenge for next season. However, the Gunners performances under Wenger in recent years have shown that they will not under the Frenchman.

Whether Koeman could do any better than Wenger is unknown. I do doubt, though, that the Dutchman would be the first choice of most Arsenal fans to be their club’s next boss.

Would Ronald Koeman be a good choice as next Arsenal boss?