A few weeks back, Massimiliano Allegri and Arsenal were names that were linked together time and again, with the Italian seen as the first choice and favourite to succeed Arsene Wenger.
However, as time has passed, those links have died down, with Allegri now tipped to remain at Juventus for the foreseeable future. Indeed, some reports suggest the highly-rated manager has already agreed on a new contract with Juventus set to announce the deal soon.
It is completely understandable why Juventus would want Allegri to stay.
The 49-year-old has not only clinched the customary Serie A titles in his three seasons in charge – well, the latest one is a foregone conclusion – but he has also taken Juventus to two Champions League finals in three seasons, with the latest coming on Tuesday, when his team saw off a challenge from Monaco.
What is most impressive about Juventus' latest run in the final is that in the knockout rounds, they have conceded all of one goal – one! – and that only came in the second leg of the semifinal on Tuesday, when Juve went on to win 2-1 in Turin and 4-1 on aggregate.
Ah, what Arsenal fans would give to have a manager who knows how to set a team up defensively, while not compromising on the attacking parts of the game either.
Everyone now knows about Arsenal's Champions League record – they have crashed out of the last 16 for seven consecutive seasons, while, under Wenger, Arsenal have reached only one final in 20 years – and to win the Champions League, you need an assured defence (or an out-of-this-world attack that makes up for the defensive flaws).
Arsenal have the ingredients for a really good defence, but Wenger is not someone who espouses defensive organisation – he is about giving a certain amount of instructions to the players and then letting them sort out any issues there might be on the field.
While that might be great for world-class players, with Arsenal's current squad, you need more coaching, more organisation, more clear advice.
And Allegri would have been perfect for Arsenal come the start of the next season as they look to move on from the Wenger era – he might not have been able to guide Arsenal to the Champions League title, but is there any doubt that the Gunners would have gotten farther than the last 16 and also maybe even clinched the Europa League title, had they failed to qualify for the UCL next season.
However, as usual, Arsenal have dillied and dallied, allowing the Wenger decision to go on and on, to such a point that it has affected results at the club, while also letting Allegri make that decision to stay at Juventus.
Nobody knows if Allegri would have even agreed a move to Arsenal – Barcelona were also reportedly interested in the Italian as a replacement for Luis Enrique – but reports did suggest he was keen, with the key being making a clear decision, and an early one.
Arsenal are not known to make quick decisions, and with that Wenger hold to remain for what looks like two more seasons, it looks like being another summer (and then the season) of discontent for the team from North London.
