Massimiliano Allegri Comments on Rumours He Will Replace Arsenal's Arsene Wenger

Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri has played down talk he will quit the Turin club this summer, amid rumours he is in line to replace Arsene Wenger at Arsenal next season.

Speaking to Italian outlet Mediaset Premium (h/t Football Italia), Allegri addressed his future in response to a question about a possible move to the Premier League: "I won't deny or confirm anything. I am in sync with the club, now we have to focus on winning. At this time of the season the media always says I'm leaving, even when things are going really well."

Reports had suggested Arsenal were in advanced talks for Allegri to succeed Wenger this summer, according to the Sunday Express (h/t Jack Wilson of the Daily Star). Bookmakers have even declared Allegri the favourite to be in charge at Arsenal next season, per the Daily Star Sunday's Tony Stenson.

However, after Allegri personally cooled the rumours, Juve general manager Giuseppe Marotta said his manager needn't swap life in Turin for north London, per Mediaset (h/t Goal's Stephen Darwin): "Aside from the fact we have a contract with Allegri, I think there are still great targets we need to achieve together and our rapport is very good. There is no reason for him to leave Juventus, as there is great mutual admiration and affection."

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There had been rumours Allegri would choose not to extend his stay with Juve after falling out with senior players, including goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, according to Alvise Cagnazzo of The Sun, who wrote: "But an agreement seems off the table, following another clash with some of his more influential stars, which leaves their relationship at rock-bottom."

Allegri may be content to play down the talk, but the rumour is beginning to take on a life of its own. For instance, Goal's Mark Doyle believes Wenger would be doing the right thing by stepping aside for Allegri.

"Goal understands that Massimiliano Allegri could quit Juventus this summer—and the 49-year-old is the ideal coach for the Gunners," Doyle wrote. "Allegri is, for the most part, a calm, composed character. However, he is not afraid to take risks. He is the right kind of 'crazy' for Arsenal."

Allegri also received a glowing endorsement from European football pundit Mina Rzouki, who told BBC Radio 5 live (h/t Lewis Winter of the Daily Star) that Allegri exceeds even fellow countryman and Chelsea chief Antonio Conte."

When it comes to Allegri, believe me when I say this, for me there is no better tactician at the moment in Italy than Allegri," Rzouki said. "I would go as far as to say he is quite a bit better than Antonio Conte."

Rzouki's words form a bold statement considering Conte has Chelsea nine points clear at the top of the Premier League. More pertinently, the Blues are 12 points ahead of Wenger's Gunners after beating Arsenal 3-1 at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.

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The result appears to have signalled the death knell for yet another Arsenal title challenge ahead of schedule. It's a harsh reality but one that has reanimated the discontent among Gunners supporters regarding Wenger's future.

The Frenchman, whose contract expires this summer, is the best manager the north London club has had. Barren years at the Emirates Stadium have dimmed the memories of Wenger's greatness, but they can't erase from history three domestic title wins, including the only unbeaten season in the Premier League era.

Wenger has also claimed six FA Cups during his time in charge, twice winning the coveted, but hardly repeated, league-and-cup double.

More than just brass tacks, though, Wenger has transformed Arsenal from a club once known more for defending and negation into a cosmopolitan epicentre of footballing purity. The expansive and attractive style he has made his trademark, one some would argue he's clung to stubbornly, is what the Gunners are known for around the globe.

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Wenger maintained his fidelity to not just competing, but also doing so with flair and artistry even while switching stadiums when Arsenal moved from Highbury to the Emirates in 2006. It was a delicate balancing act that required monitoring the budget while cash-rich rivals won titles backed by seemingly endless resources.

It was the football equivalent of fighting tanks with a peashooter.

However, in a bottom-line business, it's tough to ignore the 13 years that have elapsed since Arsenal last won the Premier League. It's also true that Wenger and the club haven't been short of a penny or two since 2013, during which time the manager has spent big on stars such as Mesut Ozil, Alexis Sanchez and Granit Xhaka without altering the fortunes on the pitch.

If frugality and just staying in the top four could be understood—and even condoned—prior to 2013, then Wenger's struggle to win the big prizes in the last four seasons is difficult to accept and tolerate.

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It's an argument recently articulated by James Olley of the London Evening Standard, who said: "What were once mitigating circumstances now rank as poor excuses. Arsenal spent almost £90 million last summer but they are no closer to winning the title."

Wenger's contract expires this summer, and a failure to win either the domestic title or claim the Champions League ought to see him replaced.

If so, Arsenal won't find many more qualified candidates than Allegri, who won Serie A with AC Milan in 2011 and has since claimed back-to-back league-and-cup doubles after succeeding Conte at Juventus in 2014.