Arsene Wenger Endorses Patrick Vieira as a Future Arsenal Manager

Arsene Wenger believes former Arsenal captain Patrick Vieira could one day take charge of their old club and backed the Frenchman to succeed as a manager. 

Vieira, 42, has come upon decent success as a manager thus far with current club Nice and New York City FC, but Wenger sees him back in north London before managing France's national team. 

Asked by Canal Football Club (h/t Get French Football News) which would be a better fit, Wenger replied: "I see him more as Arsenal manager one day (than as the French national team coach). Because he is too young to go directly into a national team. I think that his life will be spent on the club side."

Vieira joined Arsenal from AC Milan in the summer of 1996 and moved to the old Highbury shortly before Wenger took over at the helm.

The defensive midfielder went on to win three Premier League titles and three FA Cups under Wenger, and Vieira said in April 2018 that he felt he was ready to return to his old club, per Soccer AM:

Unai Emery was appointed Wenger's successor when "Le Professeur" stepped away from the club at the end of last season. He has the Gunners fourth in the Premier League and looks to have improved upon last season, though qualification for the UEFA Champions League is still not assured.

Vieira has addressed the topic of managing Arsenal in the past and recently told Canal Football Club (h/t Elliott Jackson and Paul Clarke of Football.London): "I think that every day you dream of managing the team where you once played. I spent time at Inter with Olivier (Dacourt), and it is a club that I really like a lot. Arsenal is also a club where I maybe played my best football. Becoming the manager of Arsenal one day, why not."

In any case, French football writer Jeremy Smith recently reported that the signs around Nice point to Vieira staying at the club for at least another campaign:

Vieira made 389 appearances for Arsenal and captained the team to the unbeaten Invincibles season of 2003-04. Many modern fans might name him their preferred figure if any former player could lead the team from the touchline.