Arsenal unlikely to replace Arsene Wenger with a British manager, says Sean Dyche

Former Arsenal player Paul Merson has tipped Dyche as a future Arsenal manager, but the man himself thinks the chances of the club appointing a British successor to Wenger are slim

Dyche finds it hard to believe Arsenal will turn towards a British coach (Getty)

Burnley manager Sean Dyche does not anticipate Arsenal hiring a British boss as Arsene Wenger's successor if the Frenchman decides to leave this summer.

Former Gunners midfielder Paul Merson suggested at the weekend that Dyche should be a candidate to replace Wenger when discussing the work the 45-year-old had done in east Lancashire with the Clarets.

"Why not?" Merson had said in his role as a pundit on Sky Sports' Soccer Saturday.

"He would go in and liven it up. He's a good coach. With the players he's got now he plays a certain way, if he was at Arsenal he wouldn't play that way.

"He should get another job, I don't want to be disrespectful to Burnley but he should be the next one in line. For me, that's how it works. He's done brilliantly."

Dyche thinks Wenger is a 'top-class' manager (Getty)

Wenger's future at the Emirates remains undecided but, even if the long-serving Arsenal chief decides to move on when his deal expires in the summer, Dyche thinks it is doubtful the Gunners' hierarchy opt for a replacement from these isles.

"I think it's highly unlikely that English managers are getting massive jobs in the Premier League, at the moment," he claimed.

"Maybe over time the feeling about football changes. I just don't think English managers have still got the kudos of some of their foreign counterparts. That's not a big deal, that's the nature of what it is at the moment.

"I think for Arsenal I need some more experience, more depth to my experience, more growth as a manager and I think it's fair to say that we're working hard at what we do here."


 Wenger is coming under increasing pressure to stand down 
 (Getty)

None of the current top seven in the Premier League are managed by a British boss and more than half of the 20 clubs are led by overseas chiefs.

Put to him that it was "sad" British managers are overlooked for the top posts, Dyche replied: "I just think it's a reality, I don't think it's sad at all. The nature of the market is that.


 Dyche doesn't think that British managers such as Pulis get enough credit (Getty)
 (Getty Images)

"There's some really good British managers out there. Tony (Pulis) is well versed in what's going on. Alan Pardew was spoken about as the England manager, then a few months later was out of a job because of the complexities of football. He is still a top-class manager. There's Sam Allardyce, of course, Eddie Howe is doing a fantastic job down at Bournemouth.

"I just don't think they're thought of in the same way sometimes as what their foreign counterparts are. There's no angle in that, I just think it's the reality of where it's at.

"They (Arsenal) have got a top-class manager, they've got one already and if anyone wants him out they'll probably look and say, 'Shall we get the same version of him in?' I think he's top class personally."