Arsenal End Luis Enrique Pursuit After $274m Transfer Budget Demand

Arsenal reportedly ended their pursuit of Luis Enrique "for the moment" after being put off by the Spanish manager’s demands. The Gunners were looking at the former Barcelona coach to replace Arsene Wenger, who announced earlier in the month that he will step down from the helm after 22-years in-charge.

It came as a surprise to many but in the days gone by, it became quite clear that the decision to end his tenure at Arsenal, with one-year still left on his contract, was not just his but mainly the club hierarchy feeling that it was time for a change.

Arsenal are having their worst season in the Premier League under Wenger as they languish in sixth place and could even drop to seventh if they don’t get back to winning ways before the end of the season. It was decided that the club will make a change in the summer and after the announcement, they have been looking for potential successors for the Frenchman.

Enrique was among a number of other candidates, but according to the Sun, via the Sunday Times, the Spaniard was the favorite to take over the reins in north London, but his demands have seen him fall out of contention. The former Barcelona coach is said to have demanded a £200m ($274m) war chest to overhaul the team ahead of next season with only the two strikers — Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette — said to be safe from the axe.

Moreover, Enrique is also said to have demanded a big salary to take over from Wenger, which has not gone down well with the Premier League club’s hierarchy. The former Barcelona coach’s demands have reportedly ended discussions between the two parties with the club now turning their attention elsewhere.

The report claims that Napoli manager Maurizio Sarri is among the candidates being considered after his achievements with Serie A club. The Italian manager has made the Naples outfit title contenders this season and they are just four points behind leaders Juventus, with three games left to play this campaign.

Juventus boss Masimilliano Allegri was high on the list of priority after Wenger’s announcement, but he ended speculation about a potential arrival in the Premier League by committing at least one more season to the Serie A leaders.

Meanwhile, Wenger, is unsure what the future holds for him once his stint with Arsenal ends, but hinted that he will not be managing in England next year. He has stated in the past that he will continue to manage once he leaves the Gunners, while it was confirmed recently that he has many offers on the table.

“He will be at United next year, certainly, and I don't know where I will be,” Wenger said talking about Mourinho after Arsenal’s loss to Manchester United on Sunday, as quoted by the Daily Mail. “I am in unknown territory. Will I take a break? I will be surprised if I meet him next year.”