Leonardo Jardim Reportedly Keen to Replace Arsene Wenger Amid Exit Rumours

AS Monaco manager Leonardo Jardim would reportedly be keen to take over as Arsenal boss next season should Arsene Wenger depart in the summer. 

According to Jack Pitt-Brooke of The Independent, the Portuguese coach is considering a new challenge at the end of the campaign, as he's set to conclude a fourth season with the principality club. It's reported that Jardim is "hugely admired" at the Emirates Stadium.

"… Jardim was lined up last summer when it was still unclear whether Arsene Wenger would sign the new two-year deal he was eventually offered," Pitt-Brooke wrote. "… But this year, with Arsenal determined to review their managerial situation at the end of a disappointing season, Jardim's name has emerged as a candidate again."

GLYN KIRK/Getty Images

As noted in the report, there has been fresh speculation about the position of Wenger at Arsenal in recent days.

That follows the Gunners' 3-0 hammering in the Carabao Cup final on Sunday at Wembley Stadium by Manchester City, and they are also in sixth place in the Premier League table, 10 points behind rivals Tottenham Hotspur, who occupy fourth.

After failing to qualify for this season's UEFA Champions League, there's a sense Arsenal are being left behind by the rest of the division's top six. 

Plenty are pointing the finger at the manager for this recent demise, and it does feel as though the Gunners are planning for life after Wenger, as noted by Bleacher Report's Dean Jones:

Jardim has shown he can get the best from his squad in recent years.

That was evident in the 2016-17 campaign, when he steered Monaco to the Ligue 1 title despite the presence of heavy-spending Paris Saint-Germain. 

Greg Johson of Football.London suggested if Arsenal want a like-for-like replacement for their veteran boss, they should look no further than the current Monaco chief:

French football writer Jeremy Smith suggested the 43-year-old doesn't get the credit he deserves:

Early in his tenure, he was renowned as a defensive coach, and his team were tough to break down; last term they netted an incredible 107 goals in the top flight and were very much on the front foot in matches.

Jean Catuffe/Getty Images

That versatility would serve Arsenal well, especially given they've rarely deviated from a possession-based blueprint in Wenger's time at the club. Someone such as Jardim has the potential to give supporters and players a big lift at the Emirates.

Wenger has another year left to run on his contract at the end of this season, though, and with Arsenal still involved in the UEFA Europa League, he will be desperate to add more silverware to his haul of prizes with the Gunners.