Who Do Arsenal Fans See as the Long-Term Successor to Arsene Wenger?

Whatever unfolds at the Emirates Stadium this season, the issue of Arsene Wenger's successor is certain to remain high on the agenda for Arsenal fans. Wenger appeared to be on the precipice of a departure last season, before triumph in the FA Cup final granted him the respite he required to put pen to paper on a two-year deal.

However, sooner or later his record-breaking reign will come to an end. Arsenal will face a huge transitional moment in their history, as they will be forced to make their first managerial appointment for more than two decades.

Events at Old Trafford in the aftermath of Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement will doubtless cast a significant shadow over north London when Wenger finally goes. Jose Mourinho appears to be re-establishing Manchester United as a force now, but neither David Moyes nor Louis van Gaal were particularly convincing in the Red Devils dugout. 

In this piece, we asked Arsenal fans who they envisage as being Wenger's long-term successor. This isn't necessarily a manager who is ready to step into his shoes right away—they may need to gain experience or see out a contract elsewhere. This is someone who, when the time is right, could be the man to lead Arsenal into a bold new era.

The question was initially asked on Twitter, and we'll start by running through the four candidates whose names cropped up most frequently.

Thomas Tuchel

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German Thomas Thuchel is one of the most highly respected coaches in Europe. Like Wenger, he did not enjoy a particularly celebrated playing career—in fact, a knee injury forced him to retire aged just 25. 

From then he focused on coaching—and that's where he has excelled. After a good spell in charge of Mainz, where he took them into European competition, in 2015 Tuchel was hired to replace Jurgen Klopp as manager of Borussia Dortmund.

He had two seasons in charge at Dortmund, the last of which saw him lift the DFB-Pokal. His failure to provide a major challenge to Bayern Munich was not the main cause of his departure, with issues between manager and board seemingly a bigger factor.

Tuchel is young, ambitious and tactically adept. Arsenal have had a strong contingent of German players in the squad over the last few seasons, and hiring a coach with the same nationality could prove a smart move.

Max Allegri 

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When Wenger goes, Arsenal fans will want someone with a proven track record of success. Massimiliano Allegri could well be that man.  

His record speaks for itself: Allegri has won Serie A four times with two different clubs. He has three Coppa Italia triumphs to his name. His Juventus side have won the league in each of the last three seasons, reaching the Champions League final in two of those.

His failure to win a European trophy is the major blot on his record—but it's one he shares with Wenger. There is little to suggest Allegri would be any kind of downgrade. 

His recent sides have been characterised by tactical flexibility. Throughout 2016/17, Juventus showed a capacity to alternate between a 3-5-2 and a 4-2-3-1. Arsenal fans yearn for a coach who could make the Gunners as adaptable. 

The success of Antonio Conte in the Premier League might be another factor in Arsenal's thinking. Conte has shown that it's possible for top Serie A coaches to flourish in English football, and Allegri has the potential to follow suit. The question is: Are Arsenal big enough to match Allegri's ambition? 

Diego Simeone

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Under Wenger, Arsenal have become known for playing with a certain style. There has been a focus on aesthetics, with Wenger insisting upon an open, attacking approach whenever possible.

However, that hasn't always proved successful. At the turn of the century, with the likes of Dennis Bergkamp and Thierry Henry in his ranks, Wenger had enough attacking firepower to outgun most opposition. Since then, he has struggled to find the appropriate balance in his teams.

Some Arsenal fans, it seems, would like to see someone at the helm with an alternative approach. That has led to calls for the appointment of Diego Simeone. 

Simeone is first and foremost a pragmatist. Under his management, Atletico Madrid have transformed into one of the most fearsomely effective teams in world football. He's managed to compete with Real Madrid and Barcelona, despite their huge financial advantage.

After an outstanding period as Atletico boss, Simeone is enduring a rough spell of two wins from nine games. Perhaps he needs a change—and perhaps Arsenal could be just the sort of opportunity he requires.

Mikel Arteta

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Arguably the most surprising name to continually crop up is former Arsenal midfielder Mikel Arteta. The Spaniard only retired a year or so ago, yet already Gunners supporters are eyeing him up as a future Arsenal manager. 

Part of the reason hopes are so high for Arteta is that he is learning his trade under the great Pep Guardiola at Manchester City. However, it seems he is playing an active role in coaching English football's top team.

Speaking to Mike Whalley of The Independent, Guardiola praised Arteta's contribution to the improvement in efficiency seen in Raheem Sterling:

"Mikel Arteta is working many, many hours and days after training specifically about the last action on the pitch—that control in the last moment to make the right movement in the final three or four metres." 

Arteta had a great affinity with Arsenal during his time in north London, and the fans would love to see someone at the helm who understood the club's values. However, could the board really opt for a coach with such little experience?

"

Arteta— club man, learning from the best, and can get best out of players.

— Brian (@GunnerFaithful) November 5, 2017"

The vote

We put those four names to an online poll, and this was was the response from almost 5,000 voters. 

It seems there is relatively little appetite to see Tuchel in charge—his inability to win a domestic league title is presumably a big factor in that.

Arteta's inexperience means he falls outside of the top two, although it is remarkable quite how many fans are willing to put their faith in a man who is as yet untested as a manager. While Arteta has an appreciation for the tactical side of the game, it would still represent a massive gamble.

Simeone has his supporters, but perhaps what prevents him from winning the vote is that his appointment might represent too great a cultural shift at Arsenal.

It's clear who the Gunners fans would love to nominate as Wenger's long-term successor: Allegri. His record is second-to-none, and Arsenal supporters feel confident he could bring the winning habit to north London.

The only issue is that when Allegri chooses to leave Juventus he'll have his pick of clubs. Arsenal need to do all they can to ensure they're an attractive suitor when that time comes.

James McNicholas is Bleacher Report's lead Arsenal correspondent and follows the club from a London base. You can follow him on Twitter here.