Arsene Wenger would be the ‘perfect’ choice to succeed Sir Chips Keswick as Arsenal chairman, claims Martin Keown, but a ‘special’ appointment is considered to be doubtful.
The Gunners find themselves in need of a new figurehead after it was revealed that Sir Chips will be standing down from his current post after 15 years.
It remains to be seen who the club’s board, led by owner Stan Kroenke, will turn to for inspiration from the very top.
Keown believes Arsenal should be reaching out to former boss Wenger, who saw an iconic 22-year stint as manager come to a close in the summer of 2018.
His strong ties to the club would make him a logical candidate to step back in at Emirates Stadium, with it possible that the Frenchman could offer importance guidance to current coach Mikel Arteta and those calling the shots off the field.
Former Arsenal defender Keown told talkSPORT of the approach he would take to finding a new chairman: ‘Sir Chips is somebody who had been there for 15 years, took over from Peter Hill-Wood, so I think the club have been respectful with the work he’s done there.
‘It would be something special to see Arsene Wenger come on to the board.
‘I don’t think so somehow, I think he’s said recently he doesn’t want to do that, never saw himself as someone who would sit on the board but they could do a lot worse.
‘You know that I feel that would be almost the perfect answer for Kroenke, the young Josh Kroenke, he needs that older person perhaps around, someone with the experience.
‘Other people would think that it would be intimidating for [Mikel] Arteta – I don’t think so.
‘If you’re a successful-type personality, you don’t really mind who else is in the building. You embrace that knowledge that could come in through the door.
‘So I would applaud that if Arsenal Football Club were to bring Arsene Wenger on to the board.’
While Keown believes the Gunners should be putting a big question to Wenger, the 70-year-old – who is currently filling a role at FIFA – has moved to rule out a return to north London.
He recently told beIN Sports: ‘Would I return to the Emirates Stadium? I always said to myself that I would be leaving Arsenal completely. That’s the decision I made.’