Arsenal next manager odds: Zeljko Buvac is favourite to replace Wenger

Zeljko Buvac has emerged as one of the favourites to replace Arsene Wenger as Arsenal’s next manager.

The 56-year-old Bosnian - who is nicknamed ‘The Brain’ - is Jurgen Klopp’s assistant at Liverpool. It was revealed this week that Buvac will take time away from the role for the rest of the season because of personal reasons.

He is still employed by the Anfield club, but it appears that his time at Liverpool could be coming to an end soon. Will Arsenal be his next destination or will he go back to Germany?

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The Sun reported yesterday that the Gunners head of recruitment Sven Mislintat has identified Buvac as the man to replace Wenger. However, the Sun also reports today that Buvac has held talks with German side Eintracht Frankfurt about becoming their new manager.

Meanwhile, The Daily Telegraph also says that Buvac is the leading candidate to succeed Wenger.

New boss must ‘own’ the club

Whoever takes over the Arsenal job must act like they own the club says outgoing boss Wenger. The Frenchman, who will leave this summer after 22 seasons at Arsenal, told The Sun: “My successor will need to make this club the priority of his life and commit completely and totally like he owns the club. There is no other way.”

Who else is in the running?

Since Wenger announced two weeks ago that he was to leave Arsenal there have been a host of names regularly linked with the position. Carlo Ancelotti, Massimiliano Allegri and Luis Enrique get talked about each day in the football rumour mill, but new names such as Rui Faria are also getting mentioned.

Faria is Jose Mourinho’s assistant at Manchester United. According to reports today if Arsenal were to offer Faria the job Mourinho would help his friend pack and then carry his bags to the Emirates.

Mourinho told Sky Sports: “You ask me if I think it would be a good fit and I say ‘yes’. And I say it because more than my assistant, he is my friend. If my friend has the possibility one day of a big job I would help him to pack and to carry the bags and to wish him luck.

“So, if one day that is going to happen the first one to be happy would probably be myself because I met him when he was a kid in his university and we were together for 18 years, so he is a big friend, more than an assistant.”

Other names linked include Brendan Rodgers, Patrick Vieira and Mikel Arteta.

Next Arsenal manager betting odds

Latest best prices according to Oddschecker (as of 4 May).

• Zeljko Buvac: 4/1
• Carlo Ancelotti: 6/1
• Massimiliano Allegri: 6/1
• Brendan Rodgers: 12/1
• Luis Enrique: 14/1
• Eddie Howe: 20/1
• Leonardo Jardim: 22/1
• Joachim Loew: 25/1
• Mikel Arteta: 25/1
• Patrick Vieira: 28/1
• Paulo Fonseca: 33/1
• Rui Faria: 33/1

Sky Bet

• Zeljko Buvac: 2/1
• Massimiliano Allegri: 4/1
• Carlo Ancelotti: 6/1
• Luis Enrique: 7/1
• Brendan Rodgers: 8/1
• Joachim Loew: 9/1
• Eddie Howe: 12/1
• Mikel Arteta: 12/1
• Patrick Vieira: 14/1
• Leonardo Jardim: 16/1

BetVictor (via The Sack Race)

• Carlo Ancelotti: 4/1
• Zeljko Buvac: 4/1
• Massimiliano Allegri: 6/1
• Brendan Rodgers: 10/1
• Luis Enrique: 14/1
• Eddie Howe: 14/1
• Joachim Low: 16/1