Arsenal are reportedly set to build a statue of Arsene Wenger at the Emirates Stadium. The Telegraph claims that while talks have been ongoing for years on the subject, the Gunners and Wenger have finally agreed to make the statue a reality.
News of a possible statue comes after Wenger finally returned to his old stadium. The Frenchman was seen in the crowd at Arsenal’s game against West Ham on Monday. It was the first time Wenger had been inside the stadium for a match since he left the club in 2018.
Wenger would be proud of the team’s performance
Wenger returned at the right time. Arsenal dominated the Hammers 3-1 on the night. Current coach Mikel Arteta answered post-match questions about putting on a show for his former coach.
“Obviously, he’s great and winning means my frame of mind will be in a much better frame of mind to talk to him and be around the team,” Arteta said. “So yeah, he picked the right time. A very special day, because Boxing Day is a beautiful day to play football. And I thought the performance was at the level it deserves today, and I hope you like it.”
Arteta and former team president David Dein have been asking Wenger to come back to watch a game for months. The former boss received a warm welcome from fans and was even serenaded with song by the crowd. Wenger even went down to the locker room to meet the players after the win.
The statue is only a matter of time for Wenger
Wenger was always going to have a statue erected outside the Emirates. After all, he was not only extremely successful during his stay in North London, but was also a major factor in the construction of the stadium.
The manager will join current statues of Herbert Chapman, Thierry Henry, Tony Adams and Dennis Bergkamp in the arena. Exact timing plans are yet to be confirmed. However, there has been a suggestion that the Wenger statue could be completed as early as next year.
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