Arsenal chief executive Ivan Gazidis has admitted replacing Arsene Wenger will be a great test.
Wenger this month celebrated 18 years as manager at Arsenal, who need look no further than Manchester United and life after Sir Alex Ferguson to see how difficult it is to replace a key figure.
The Frenchman, 65 next week, signed a three-year contract extension in May after ending a nine-year trophy drought by winning the FA Cup.
Gazidis said: ‘So much of the attention on a football club is around an individual and that’s very understandable at Arsenal because we have a giant managing us.
‘Arsene has put the club in a great, great position. The biggest challenge we’re going to face as a club is that, when that transition from Arsene to the next manager of our club happens — and I don’t know when that’s going to be — we come through that strongly.’
Gazidis is optimistic for the future and wants Arsenal to join the world’s elite.
He added: ‘I wouldn’t be doing this job if I didn’t believe we could compete at the very top level. I know Arsene feels the same way.
‘I think the best teams in the world are in Europe and you think about the great names in world football like Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich — and we’re aiming to get there.’
Arsenal’s injury list grew after Tomas Rosicky joined Mesut Ozil and Laurent Koscielny in reporting a problem while on international duty. Also Danny Welbeck went off against Estonia for England. Rosicky did not feature in Czech Republic’s win over Kazakhstan on Monday after suffering a calf problem.
But one person who is fit is Theo Walcott after missing nine months with a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament.
Walcott’s England and Arsenal team-mate Kieran Gibbs says a fit and healthy Walcott is a massive boost.
He said: ‘It is good to have Theo in the team, because he is such an important player.
‘It is difficult to get over an injury like his but he will be fitter and stronger than ever.
Meanwhile, the agent of Dinamo Zagreb midfielder Marcelo Brozovic claims he will hold talks with Arsenal in November over a move.
The 21-year-old featured for Croatia at the World Cup and has attracted interest from a number of clubs. – Daily Mail