20 Years at Arsenal, but Arsene Wenger Is Surely Not Ready to Quit Yet

At his latest press conference, Arsene Wenger handed out specially made pens to commemorate his 20 years with Arsenal. He quipped that he was giving them out on the promise that the assembled journalists would write positive things about the Gunners.

However, the real question is whether Wenger will put pen to paper and sign a new deal to extends his reign beyond two decades.

The discussion has particular pertinence at the moment because of a certain vacancy in Soho Square. Sam Allardyce’s departure from the England setup has led to Arsene Wenger being linked with the international job once again.

Asked about his potential interest in the role, he told Arsenal.com: "Right now my priority is to do well here. This has always been my club and if I am free one day, why not? But I’m focused on my job right now." 

It’s unlike Wenger to entertain an idea so openly. Is it possible that he could allow Gareth Southgate to operate as a caretaker boss for the remainder of the season, then take up the England job at the end of his Arsenal contract in 2017?

Wenger signed his last deal in 2014, off the back of Arsenal’s FA Cup triumph. It had been a tumultuous campaign—at one stage, the team was just minutes away from being eliminated in the cup semi-final to championship side Wigan. Had Arsenal fallen at that hurdle, Wenger would surely have been forced to abdicate. Instead, Per Mertesacker grabbed a late equaliser, Arsenal won the semi and later the trophy, and the manager’s time at the helm continued.

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In truth, it’s been an up-and-down period even since then. 2015 brought another FA Cup and 2016 the club’s highest Premier League finish for more than a decade. However, there have also been low points. Criticisms have been voiced and placards have been raised. At times last season, there was clear dissent towards Wenger from an increasingly disgruntled fanbase.

On certain occasions, it’s even been unclear whether or not the players have still felt motivated to give their best.

Surviving at any club for 20 years is a remarkable achievement, and consistency has been the hallmark of Wenger’s reign. He has never allowed the club to drop out of the back four and has seen off several challenges for north London supremacy from neighbours Tottenham.

However, Wenger must feel a pang of regret that he has not been able to capture the league title since 2004. Arsenal have been more stable than successful, and there have been times when Wenger’s club has felt somewhat stale. Wenger has an impressive capacity to continually evolve his team, but ultimately he is still the same man who arrived in north London in 1996. The ingenuity of his methods has waned somewhat with time.

It’s understandable that, after such a long time in charge, people are wondering whether this season could be Wenger’s last.

We probably won’t know for sure for some time. In this latter portion of his Arsenal career, Wenger has tended to allow his contracts to run later and later before signing an extension. Back in 2014, no clarity emerged until after the FA Cup final. 

Wenger was asked recently whether or not he thinks he could last another five years at the helm. While he couldn’t provide a definitive answer, he suggested to Arsenal.com that staying on is still a very realistic possibility: 

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I don’t know [if I’ll get to 25 years]. I think I have one quality which is a passion for the game, and another quality is that I always have the desire to be better tomorrow than I was yesterday. If I look back, the way I manage today is not the same as it was five, 10, or 20 years ago. How long can I do? I don’t know.

I rule nothing out because I want to work and I want to do well. I accept that it can finish tomorrow as well. It’s a love story and you always expect a love story to last forever, but it can always stop suddenly.

What will influence me the most is the fact that I feel I do well and can move this team forward. 

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The likelihood is surely that he’ll decide to stay. There’s certainly no internal pressure from within the club for him to call time on his career—the board are enamoured with the way he balances economic stability with competitive consistency. Replacing him is not a task that chief executive Ivan Gazidis will be approaching with any relish.

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For all Wenger’s platitudes about the England position, he would be foolish to take on such a poisoned chalice. At the tail end of his career, does he really want the scrutiny that job would bring? What’s more, taking on an international position would mean sacrificing day-to-day coaching. That seems unlikely for a man who loves being out on the training ground with his players.

Wenger’s former charge, Lee Dixon, told ITV Sport (h/t The Independent):

"

Whenever he's spoken about it to me or when I've been in his company, he's always said that international management is not for him right now, and that's gone right up until this point. 

Knowing him, he likes to be involved in the day to day basis with the game… whether international football fits that bill I'm not sure.

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Crucially, Wenger may also sense that he is making progress with this Arsenal team. After a difficult start against Liverpool on the opening day, the Gunners have remained unbeaten in 2016/17. They’re scoring goals and appear to have rediscovered the spark that once placed Wenger’s teams among the most attractive in world football. 

This summer, Arsenal spent big to land the likes of Granit Xhaka, Shkodran Mustafi and Lucas Perez. After years of forced frugality, Wenger now has the financial firepower to compete with almost anyone.

For everything Wenger has achieved, he still has unfinished business with Arsenal. He would dearly love to win a fourth Premier League title and yearns to finally lift the Champions League. As Arsenal edge closer to those goals, Wenger will surely be unable to walk away.

If he can achieve one of those goals this season, it’s possible he’ll decide to walk away on top. However, knowing his voracious appetite for football, it’s just as likely he’ll stay on. No job, including the title of England manager, is going to tempt him away from his footballing home. Retirement will also have to wait.

If Wenger has proven anything over these 20 years, it’s that he has tremendous staying power. Expect him to endure a little longer.

James McNicholas is Bleacher Report's lead Arsenal correspondent and will be following the club from a London base throughout 2016/17. Follow him on Twitter here.