Arsene Wenger is reportedly close to a return to football.
The former Arsenal manager has been away from the dugout since the end of the 2017/2018 season when he stepped down from his position following over two decades of service to the north London outfit.
Despite links to Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich over the past 12 months or so he has stayed away from a managerial role.
And it would appear his next job won't be in the hotseat.
The New York Times claim that Wenger has agreed to become FIFA's technical head, though his official title with the organisation has not been finalised.
In addition, the report states that FIFA have been looking to appoint a high-profile figure to its senior ranks since the departures of the former technical director Marco van Basten and Zvonimir Boban, who quit as FIFA’s deputy secretary general in June to take up a senior management position at AC Milan.
Speaking to BeIN Sports France last week, Wenger did hint at his managerial career not being over just yet.
"I rejected some nice offers because I did not feel ready," he said. "Maybe I realised how much I was in my own bubble alienating myself from the rest of the world when I was managing.
"Putting a bit of distance between myself and our world made me hesitate to jump back into the fire-pit so quickly. I did it for 35 years without any interruption. So I was able to leave the bubble and open my eyes and that took me time… you will see me in a dugout again, when I don’t know exactly."
Could it be that Wenger has come to terms that being back in the dugout is unlikely, or will this just be a short-term job?
One place he is unlikely to return to is the Emirates Stadium and that's despite confirming he's been in talks with the club's chiefs.
"I have been in touch with some people at the club but I felt when you go like that you cannot be half in, half out," Wenger told beIN Sports.
"You let people who come in work their way. And I wanted to take a complete distance.
"It’s still a bit early, maybe, to go back. I haven’t been back at the club."
