Report: Arsenal Begins Mass Clearout of Arsene Wenger's Staff
Arsenal have begun to prepare for life after Arsene Wenger by clearing out their departing manager's backroom staff, with six members of coaching and medical staff set to leave.
The Mail report that half a dozen of the Frenchman's allies at the Emirates will be out on their ears this summer at the club clear the decks for whoever they bring in to replace Wenger at the end of his 22-year tenure.
Colin Lewin, the head of the club's medical department, may be the most high profile of those departing, with he and first-team coach Neil Banfield both exiting the Gunners' setup after over 40 combined years of service.
Goalkeeping specialist Gerry Peyton is also leaving, as are fitness coach Tony Colbert and equipment manager Paul Johnson, but roles are expected to be found for Wenger's assistant Steve Bould and Jens Lehmann - with reports unclear on whether Lehmann's continued tenure is down to the fact that the club couldn't find anybody brave enough to ask him to leave.
The Gunners appear to be a step closer to finding Wenger's replacement purely by the process of elimination, with Thomas Tuchel taking over as Paris Saint-Germain manager on Monday, Luis Enrique demanding more money than the club were prepared to pay and Max Allegri choosing to stay at Italian champions and Champions League regulars Juventus for reasons which were definitely about money and not at all about the new reality of Arsenal's place in the European pecking order.
Mikel Arteta is being pushed as a favorite by bookmakers, while Julian Nagelsmann has emerged as an alternative in the absence of other options after leading Hoffenheim to consecutive Champions League qualification spots.
