The Scottish pundit feels the recently fired Italian coach will not be keen on replacing Unai Emery at the helm of the Gunners.

Photo by Getty Images

Sacked Napoli boss Carlo Ancelotti is unlikely to become the next Arsenal manager because of the current state at the Premier League club, according to Greame Souness.

Ancelotti was dismissed by the Serie A club on Tuesday night following their 4-0 win over Genk that secured qualification to the Champions League knockout stage.

Reports of the Italian tactician being in line for a move to the Emirates Stadium have only intensified since his axing from the Naples club, but Souness believes Ancelotti might bypass North London because of the probable struggles ahead.

“Would the big [managers] take Arsenal at the moment? I’m not so sure,” Souness told Virgin Sport Media.

“I don’t think the next man at Arsenal is going to be the one to turn the corner for them. I think there’s a lot of work to be done there, especially with those players.

“I think [Ancelotti] is a big manager and if you look at the jobs he’s had – Real Madrid, PSG, Chelsea – you know Arsenal are a fabulous club, but right now it’s a difficult job, whoever gets it.”

Ancelotti’s future at Napoli was the subject of speculation for a number of weeks after issues developed between the players and management after an order from Aurelio De Laurentiis was disobeyed.

The 60-year-old has managed some of Europe’s biggest clubs, including Juventus, Milan, Chelsea, PSG, Real Madrid and Bayern.

Ancelotti shot to prominence in 2009 when he won UEFA’s Intertoto Cup with Juve before embarking on a eight-year stint with Milan, where he won two Champions League titles and the Scudetto.

He moved on to Chelsea where he clinched the Premier League-FA Cup double in 2009-10, before being sacked at the end of the following season.

League titles at PSG and Bayern followed, while he also lifted another Champions League with Real Madrid in 2013-14.

Ancelotti was appointed Napoli boss at the start of the 2018-19 season on a three-year contract after Maurizio Sarri was poached by Chelsea.

He took the Naples club to second-place Serie A finish in his first season in charge, but they were never really in the hunt for the title as Juventus streaked to an 11-point triumph.

Source – Goal.com