Paul Clement Rumoured as Eventual Arsene Wenger Replacement at Arsenal

Whether Arsene Wenger's Arsenal reign is set to come to an end any time soon remains to be seen, but current Real Madrid assistant coach Paul Clement is being rumoured as the Frenchman's potential successor.

AS is reporting (h/t Sport's Samuel Marsden) that Wenger is set to leave Arsenal at the end of the season, with Englishman Clement already lined up to take over for the 65-year-old at the Emirates:

The Gunners have not had the best start to the season in the Premier League but currently sit fifth in the division after Saturday's 2-0 victory over Sunderland.

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While Wenger has been hugely successful at Arsenal, their FA Cup win last season was the north London club's first piece of silverware since 2005, and there have oftentimes been calls for the Frenchman to take his leave, per Stan Collymore of Bleacher Report UK:

However, though it has been some time since Arsenal genuinely competed for the English title and 10 years since they actually won it, it is unlikely Wenger will ever be forcibly removed from the Gunners' top job.

'What was a loud minority has become a majority’ @StanCollymore on #WengerOut Arsenal fans http://t.co/oxqSogRBj3 pic.twitter.com/opBXawcCAE
— Bleacher Report UK (@br_uk) October 23, 2014

He is rightly regarded as one of the great managers of the modern era and is largely responsible for making Arsenal one of Europe's top clubs.

On the recent occasion of his 65th birthday, Wenger expressed his continued motivation to do well in his job as Gunners boss, per John Cross of the Daily Mirror: "I honestly feel more motivated - more than ever. Do I feel young? No, my age is my age. You have to live with that. Until now I am lucky to be in shape. But the desire and motivation is stronger than ever. I am so keen to do well with my team this season. Hopefully we can do it. I feel there is huge potential there."

These recent comments would seem to suggest he is still eager to stay in charge at Arsenal, and it is likely that he would wish to go out on a high—as Sir Alex Ferguson did at Manchester United—when he does decide to call it a day.

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Clement would arguably be a bold choice as Wenger's replacement, with the 42-year-old having never previously held the top managerial job at any club.

However, he has worked with the likes of Guus Hiddink and Carlo Ancelotti and across Europe with Blackburn, Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain and now Real Madrid.

Clement would certainly be an interesting choice of successor but would face the huge pressure—like David Moyes at Old Trafford—of working in the shadow of a managerial great.

However, first of all, Wenger has to call it a day, and despite the AS report, that may not happen for some time yet.