Arsenal Reportedly Target Max Allegri as Arsene Wenger's Successor

Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri has reportedly "verbally agreed a deal" to succeed Arsene Wenger as Arsenal boss in the summer should the Frenchman decide to leave the club.

According to Neil Fissler in the Express, the Italian has been in contact with the Gunners since the end of 2016 and will take over at the Emirates Stadium should Wenger opt not to take up the two-year extension currently on the table.

Wenger, 67, has been under increasing pressure of late after a string of bad results, and many are expecting him to call time on his 21-year career in north London at the end of 2016-17. That includes Arsenal legend Ian Wright, per BBC 5 live (via Sam Wallace in the Telegraph).

Allegri, 49, is reportedly set to leave Juve after falling out "with a number of senior players," per Fissler. Still, he is well on track to win a third consecutive Serie A title in charge of the Old Lady.

Such title-winning pedigree, and the fact he led Juve to the UEFA Champions League final in 2015, should make him a popular appointment at Arsenal if he takes over given that the Gunners have not won the Premier League for over a decade.

Wenger has previously insisted he will not retire at the end of the season—when his current Gunners contract expires—and said that his preference is to remain in charge in north London, per Sean Kearns in Metro.

However, a 3-1 defeat to Liverpool on Saturday piled more pressure on the Frenchman and pushed Arsenal out of the Premier League's top four, jeopardising their chances of qualifying for next season's Champions League.

Football writer Liam Canning summed up the attitude of many toward Wenger following the Anfield defeat:

Should Arsenal end up finishing out of the Premier League's top four and fail to win the FA Cup—their last genuine chance of silverware in 2016-17—it would be little surprise if Wenger were to leave the club in the summer.

Allegri would be a worthy replacement, and it seems Arsenal already have him lined up to fill the position.