Arsene Wenger 4-Man Replacement List Drawn Up Amid Arsenal Exit Rumours

Arsenal have compiled a four-man shortlist of candidates to replace manager Arsene Wenger if he leaves the club this summer, comprising Borussia Dortmund's Thomas Tuchel, Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri, Bayer Leverkusen's Roger Schmidt and AS Monaco manager Leonardo Jardim. 

That's according to the Mirror's John Cross, who noted the club has made "discreet inquiries" as to their "potential suitability."

Cross added that Wenger, who is in the final year of his deal, is believed to have been offered a new two-year contract at the club. However, he has yet to put pen to paper, as his decision will hinge on what Arsenal have achieved come the end of the season.

The Gunners appear to be out of the Premier League title race after defeat to Chelsea on Saturday left them 12 points behind the league-leading Blues. They'll face Bayern Munich in the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League and Sutton United in the fifth round of the FA Cup.

Whether Wenger should stay is a source of division among fans and pundits alike.

Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville supports the Frenchman:

The 67-year-old has won three Premier League titles and six FA Cups, as well as leading his team to UEFA Champions League qualification every year since 1998 despite often spending less than rivals in the transfer market.

However, The Independent's Miguel Delaney and The Times' Henry Winter believe a change would benefit Arsenal:

For all the great things Wenger has achieved in north London since his arrival in 1996, two FA Cups since 2004 isn't enough silverware for a club of the Gunners' size—and six successive last-16 exits in the Champions League isn't, either.

Of the four-man shortlist, Allegri is perhaps the most ambitious target—he'd likely be the most difficult to recruit, but he's also the most successful in terms of silverware, having won three Serie A titles and two Coppa Italias. The Juve boss also guided the Bianconeri to the Champions League final in 2015.

Tuchel has impressed since replacing Jurgen Klopp at Dortmund in 2015, but it's worth noting after an excellent first season, they've somewhat struggled this year by comparison.

Martin Meissner/Associated Press

Schmidt won the Austrian league-and-cup double in 2014 and has turned Leverkusen into an impressive and entertaining outfit.

Jardim helped Olympiakos win the Greek Superleague in 2013, although he was sacked halfway through the campaign despite his side topping the table by 10 points. Now at Monaco, he could be set to win Ligue 1 and prevent Paris Saint-Germain from winning a fifth consecutive title—his team are three points clear and have scored 70 goals in 24 games.

It's hardly ideal that Arsenal could end the season not knowing whether Wenger will continue, but they're wise to draw up a list of candidates in advance.

Whether all of the potential managerial targets will please the Emirates Stadium faithful is another matter.

Of the four mentioned, Allegri is the only one to have won a title in one of Europe's top leagues, and bringing in someone who can guide them to top spot in the Premier League must be the Gunners' ambition if Wenger leaves.