Ray Parlour has lent support to the idea of Rafael Benitez succeeding Arsene Wenger, after the Frenchman announced his departure last week.
After 22 years in charge of the Gunners, the next man to take the technical area at the Emirates will have big shoes to fill, but Parlour believes the right person for the job is already in the Premier League.
Speaking to TalkSPORT, Parlour said:
What he has done for Newcastle this season is amazing,
With not a lot of investment he’s got them playing so well. They are out of trouble when it looked like they would be in a relegation battle, and now they are sitting really healthy in the league.
With limited resources, Benitez looks set to guide his Newcastle to a top half finish, as a 2-1 win against Arsenal looks to be the moment of the season on Tyneside.
Benitez won the UEFA Cup at Valencia in 2004, before moving to Liverpool a year later and winning the Champions League in 2005. With time also spent at Internazionale, Napoli, and Real Madrid, the Spaniard has a litany of honours to his name.
Parlour thinks the two-time UEFA Coach of the Year would be an immediate fit in North London:
He would be a great fit, but whether Arsenal want to go down that road,
There are younger managers as well, and they may say ‘let’s give one of them an opportunity’, or go for one of the more experienced ones; Luis Enrique is favourite, but I know Chelsea might be looking at him as well.
Other suggested candidates for the role include Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers, Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri, and Napoli man Maurizio Sarri.
