With some of the Premier League’s greatest players beginning to forge careers in the dugout such as Mikel Arteta - more and more Premier League fans are turning attention to which of their current players may be the next to step into the manager’s suit.
While fans will hope that Arteta’s reign is long and successful, we looked into four current Arsenal players who may one day succeed their boss.
Granit Xhaka
A controversial take for some due to the former skipper’s exploits against Crystal Palace under Unai Emery, but Xhaka does have leadership qualities that led to his appointment as captain by his manager and teammates.
Upon his arrival at the club, he expressed his leadership qualities with the infamous house keys anecdote and received some level of mockery from rival fans. However, he went on to show such qualities over his time at the club - despite varying levels of performances.
His actions versus Roy Hodgson’s men cost him the armband but he has proven to be a vital cog in the leadership team since Emery’s departure - and there’s no reason why he can’t take this characteristic into management.
Bernd Leno
Goalkeepers at the top level management are rare, just ask Nuno Espirito Santo. However, since Leno’s arrival in North London in 2018, he has provided a sense of stability in goal - taking over from veteran and Premier League legend, Petr Cech.
Despite a few shaky moments at the start, Leno has come into his own and is now a key figure for the Gunners. His place in the national team is trickier - competing against Manuel Neuer, Marc Andre Ter Stegen, Kevin Trapp and Sven Ulreich for the number one jersey, but he has done himself no harm in those stakes since joining Arsenal.
Since becoming Arsenal’s #1, he’s shown leadership qualities in organising defences, is always a player to celebrate goals with great passion and seems to have the mentality to go with these. He may not be a standout shout but we need more goalkeepers going into management, and Leno can be one of them.
David Luiz
While some consider the Brazilian ‘mad’, he has grown into a mature personality in the latter years of his career and now, aged 32, must be considering life beyond professional football.
However, he could be one to take up management. He’s played under some fantastic managers - Jose Mourinho, Antonio Conte, Jorge Jesus, Carlo Ancelotti, Rafa Benitez, Laurent Blanc and Maurizio Sarri; an enviable career. On top of this, he’s won every trophy there is to be won at club level and such experience and winning mentality will serve him well going into a career in coaching.
During an interview with Callum Hudson-Odoi while Luiz was still at Chelsea, the winger said, “He gives out a lot of good advice, he’s played at the top and he knows everything about it.”
Furthermore, Luiz has suffered humiliation like very few - notably Brazil’s 7-1 World Cup hammering at the hands of Germany in 2014. It was a dark day for Luiz and a seminal moment for Brazilian football; an experience the Arsenal man could draw upon in his future career.
Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang
Last, and arguably the most obvious considering he is Arsenal captain, Aubameyang. The Gabonese striker is Arsenal’s main man and replaced the aforementioned Xhaka as captain in 2019. His leadership is evident through his popularity - and he clearly commands the respect of the staff, his teammates and the fans.
Aubameyang’s ability to guide the club through difficult games and continuously bail them out of difficult situations has made him a cult hero at the club - and many would embrace his appointment as manager one day.
As with all the above players, a desire for coaching and completion of badges will be crucial - but there’s no reason why he can’t become a successful manager should he so choose.
