Reports: Arsene Wenger close to joining AC Milan as Gennaro Gattuso replacement
What's the rumor?
Former Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is reportedly set to be appointed as AC Milan manager after his 22-year stint with the North London club, replacing current boss Gennaro Gattuso in the process.
According to France Football, the Serie A side is in talks to replace Gattuso and make Wenger their new manager soon.
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The French manager left Arsenal at the end of last season after his side finished sixth in the Premier League, prompting fans to demand for his ouster.
During his 22-year long tenure, Wenger won the Premier League three times, one of which involved an unbeaten 'Invincibles' campaign. He is also the most successful manager in the history of the FA Cup, having won the competition a record seven times.
Gattuso, on the other hand, has been in charge of AC Milan for less than a year.
Under him, the Rossoneri finished at sixth place in the Serie A last season, and are currently at fourth place after eleven games so far this campaign.
The heart of the matter
Despite the current situation at Milan being far from bad - the club having won three games in a row to put them in a Champions League qualification spot - it is reportedly below the expectations of club owners.
The report claims that the club has been in talks with Wenger over the past few weeks. It further claims that Elliot Fund owners-directors Paul and Gordon Singer are big fans of Arsenal and want the 69-year-old manager at the San Siro.
The Frenchman himself recently revealed that he plans to make a return to management at the beginning of 2019.
Rumor rating: 7/10
There could be truth to the reports as France Football is mostly a reliable news outlet and Wenger has also said that it would be difficult for him to manage another Premier League club. In the same interview with Sky Sports, Wenger has already claimed that he is likely to return to football in early 2019
If the reports prove to be true, Wenger could be the manager to take the Italian side back into the Champions League, given his experience and knowledge.
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What's next?
AC Milan are set to go head-to-head with Real Betis in a Europa League clash on Friday. Wenger would surely be an upgrade on current manager Gattuso in terms of experience. But only time will tell whether it would be the best move or not.