Arsene Wenger's two year contract is just sitting there waiting to be signed. Wenger says that he will sign it at the end of the season which of course just bets the question why not ink the agreement today?
It is hard to shake the feeling that Wenger is waiting to see how the season turns out. Maybe Wenger guides Arsenal to the top four and the FA Cup and decides to keep going and push for that elusive league title? Maybe Wenger decides to bow out with a shiny piece of silverware.
Whatever happens the Arsenal board and fans have got to be thinking about who could build on Wenger's legacy. Here are five names that should be at the top of the list.
Jurgen Klopp
Should he leave Arsenal this summer Jurgen Klopp has got to be right at the top of potential candidates to replace the Professor.
At Dortmund Klopp has created some of the most attractive footballing teams in the world. He has won the Bundesliga in 2010-11 before going one better next season and clinching a league and cup double. Last season he of course led Dortmund to the Champions League final at Wembley.
More impressive than the style of play and the silverware though is the fact that Klopp has done this whilst consistently losing his best players and having to replace them on the cheap.
Two seasons ago he lost playmaker Shinji Kagawa to Manchester United. On the eve of the Champions League final last season he lost wonderkid Mario Gotze to rivals and final opponents Bayern Munich. Whilst this season he has had to deal with the impending transfer of star striker Robert Lewandowski to the same competitors.
Klopp does have strong roots tying him down to Dortmund but he has left clubs for reasons of ambition before. He joined his present club after spending 19 years at Mainz as both player and manager.
Given that he keeps losing players to rivals year after year it is not implausible that Klopp could be tempted by the greater financial pull of the Emirates. If there is even a chance he is interested the Arsenal board would have to go the extra mile to get him.
Roberto Martinez
When Wigan Chairman Dave Whelan said he was surprised that Manchester United were not interested in Roberto Martinez to replace Sir Alex Ferguson many people, including this writer, thought this was laughable.
Martinez had played 'nice' football at Wigan but every season had been a relegation fight and in the end his side very relegated.
The thinking was that Martinez sides played good attacking football but were defensively frail.
Fastforward nine months and Dave Whelan's notion is no longer quite so laughable.
Martinez's Everton side are snapping at Arsenal's heels despite having a fraction of Arsenal's resources.
Martinez could be a great replacement for Wenger.
Frank De Boer
A legend of a player that was capped 112 times for this country and won every competition going in club football.
As a manager De Boer started off coaching in Ajax's youth set up before becoming manager in December 2010. Since then De Boer has led Ajax to three successive Eredivisie titles and his side are currently eight points clear of second placed Feyenoord.
The only question mark over De Boer would be his Champions League experience. The Dutch league is hardly the most competitive and so a better gauge of his managerial talent might be his European record.
Despite coming close on three occasions De Boer has never guided Ajax out of the group stages. Although this season Ajax did beat Barcelona at home and were unlucky not to beat AC Milan at the San Siro.
After three and a half seasons in charge at Ajax De Boer might feel it is time to move onto pastures new. He would certainly play football in the Arsenal way.
Unai Emery
Now back in Spain managing Sevilla Unai Emery also had a brief stint at Spartak Moscow. Before that though he managed Valencia, Almeria and Lorca Deportiva.
It is his spell at Valencia that is most eye catching. Despite the clubs grave financial woes Emery led Valencia to third place finishes and Champions League football three years running. In the end he left the club after the fans let it known that finishing behind Barcelona and Real Madrid wasn't good enough.
Emery developed footballers like David Villa, David Silva and Sergio Aguero and so is no stranger to playing the beautiful game properly.
Emery however is perhaps more tactically flexible than the other manager on the list and Wenger. When faced with the likes of Barcelona Emery was not shy in adapting his tactics to the situation. Such pragmatism could deliver the silverware Arsenal have lacked these last few years.
Arsene Wenger
It should go without saying but if Wenger does want to stay on at Arsenal he should be backed to do so.
Lets be honest given his achievements and time and the club Wenger has a job for life.
Source: DSG
