Wenger linked with Real again

Arsene Wenger looks certain to turn down his latest opportunity to revive the fortunes of Real Madrid.

The Arsenal boss has again become a pawn in yet another Spanish political football battle after one of the candidates in Real Madrid’s latest presidential elections revealed Wenger would be his first choice to run the show at the Bernabeu.

David Beckham’s club are looking for a top coach to restore their old glory following Juan Ramon Lopez Caro’s exit and when candidates line up for the annual presidential battle – which is set for July 2 – they like to come armed with appropriate propaganda.

Being able to guarantee the recruitment of a major icon like Wenger, of course, is like David Cameron telling the Britain’s parliamentary electorate that if he gets their vote he will freeze income tax.

It is certainly not the first time this sort of scenario in Spain has happened with Wenger and Real Madrid.

On this occasion it is former world champion rally driver Carlos Sainz, who is preparing a joint bid to seize control along with a gentleman named Juan Miguel Villar Mir, who says he wants to bring Wenger to the club.

But the Frenchman revealed earlier this season he has turned down Real’s advances, as well as those of their deadly rivals Barcelona, several times.

And with Arsenal about to move into a new stadium at the start of a new era and Wenger under contract until 2008, the chances of him suddenly burning bridges that have taken 10 years to build in North London appear to be just about zero.

David Dein, Arsenal’s influential vice-chairman, would give him a job for life with the Gunners if it could be arranged.

And Wenger, entering his 10th season in charge of a club he has brought three Premiership titles, four FA Cups and two major European finals, has also been a huge influence in not only the move to a new stadium but also the building of their state-of-the-art training ground in Hertfordshire.

Team managers rarely last more than a couple ofseasons at the Bernabeu. Unless they win the domestic championship AND the European Cup they are deemed as failures and it is not as if Wenger would be particularly interested in the vastly inflated salary they would undoubtedly offer.

He is at Arsenal to build a new dynasty of success after a narrow miss in the Champions League final and although he was unavailable for comment today it is sure he will soon issue his usual, polite “thanks, but no thanks” reply.

A member of Wenger’s staff said: “I don’t think you will even get anybody at the club to comment on this. It seems such an old, familiar story.”

There are plenty of other candidates for Real to consider, of course. Outgoing England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson reportedly claims he has been approached although his chances of taking the helm are apparently deteriorating.

Former Denmark superstar Michael Laudrup is a firm favourite with several influential figures at the club and Fabio Capello has held talks with Ramon Calderon, another man in the running for presidency.

Sainz admits he has not even spoken to Wenger yet. He said: "We are in the process of trying to do that.

“We want a complete overhaul of the club. We need to secure a general manager and a coach first who will be at the heart of the club.”