Arsenal to begin process of sounding out potential successors to Arsene Wenger this week

Arsenal will this week start sounding out candidates to succeed Arsene  Wenger as they look for the man to win back the stay-away fans.

Former Barcelona manager Luis Enrique, ex-Arsenal captain Mikel Arteta  and Germany’s national team manager Joachim Low, among others, are all  expecting approaches.

Emotions will be running high at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday  afternoon, when Arsenal start the long goodbye to Wenger after the  Frenchman announced he will stand down from his post as manager at the  end of the season.

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Arsenal face West Ham United in front of what is sure to be a full  stadium, but the absent supporters have been a huge concern to the  club.

It is believed that the empty seats over recent weeks were a big  factor in the Gunners effectively giving Wenger an ultimatum to stand  down or be sacked.

And winning back the disaffected fans with entertaining and energising  football will be a big part of the brief for Wenger’s successor.

As revealed by Telegraph Sport last week, there is a split among the  Arsenal decision makers, chief executive Ivan Gazidis, head of  football relations Raul Sanllehi and head of recruitment Sven  Mislintat, over who exactly should replace Wenger.

With Wenger’s future now out in the open, however, the trio can start  approaching candidates to weigh up who is interested and who best fits  the club’s brief.

The Gunners are so far undecided whether to take a gamble on a  relatively unproven man, such as Arteta, who is well liked by Gazidis,  or Hoffenheim’s Julian Nagelsmann, who is highly rated by Mislintat.  Sanllehi already knows Enrique, following their successful time  together at Barcelona, and the pair met recently.

But it will ultimately be Gazidis who recommends the next manager to  majority shareholder Stan Kroenke and Sanllehi and Mislintat will feed  their recommendations into the American.

The fact Arsenal are so keen to win over the club’s fans could count  against Brendan Rodgers, who Celtic have confirmed would be allowed to  speak to the Gunners.

Rodgers’ work is admired within Arsenal, but there is also concern  that the former Liverpool manager might not be a popular appointment.