Arsenal plan Max Allegri talks

Arsenal want to sound out Juventus manager Max Allegri as part of a recruitment process that will now accelerate significantly as the main European club seasons reach their conclusion.

The first managerial appointment at Arsenal in 22 years is being overseen by chief executive Ivan Gazidis and will be part of a major shake-up this summer across not just the Premier League but many of the elite European  clubs.

Arsenal are not settled yet on whether to go all out for an established European heavyweight like Allegri or former Barcelona manager Luis Enrique - and are also still examining younger head coach-style options - but there is a strong internal desire to have made the appointment by at least the start of the World Cup in just over a month.

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The process has so far been slowed by a combination of a desire not to undermine current manager Arsene Wenger but above all the practicalities of having several of their main candidates currently in work and completing their seasons elsewhere.

In an exclusive Telegraph interview earlier this year, Allegri indicated that he would eventually like to work in England but it is unclear whether he is yet ready to leave Italy after winning the Serie A title at AC Milan before leading Juventus to three consecutive league and cup doubles and  also two Champions League finals.

Chelsea, who are expected to replace Antonio Conte after the FA Cup final later this month, are also interested in Allegri and could yet rival Arsenal, who have not qualified for next season’s Champions League. Arsenal have not as yet made any direct contact with Allegri, whose Juventus team virtually secured their fourth straight Serie A title on  Saturday with a 3-1 win against Bologna.

Aged 50, Allegri has already accumulated 15 years and more than 600 matches  of managerial experience, including the last eight seasons at major Champions League club with Milan and Juventus. He also already speaks some English, albeit not yet fluently.

Enrique is especially well known to Arsenal’s head of football relations Raul Sanllehi, who worked with him as director of football at Barcelona,  but there is concern that he could leverage their interest for another club. Monaco manager Leonardo Jardim, Hoffenheim’s 30-year-old boss Julian Nagelsmann and former Arsenal captain Mikel Arteta are also serious contenders.

Like Allegri, Jardim is interested in working in England in the future but  has not yet decided whether to leave his current job this year.  Bayern Munich have appointed Niko Kovac to take over from the retiring Jupp  Heynckes this summer but Naglesmann is widely seen as the outstanding young  coach in Germany and Arsenal’s new head of recruitment Sven Mislintat is well aware of his reputation.

Arsenal were also interested in Germany manager Joachim Loew but the timing of Wenger’s departure and the desire to make an appointment before the World Cup would clearly be problematic.

Gazidis, who is a big admirer of Arteta, wants to first speak with the leading candidates and intends to conduct a thorough process before making his recommendation to the club’s majority owner Stan Kroenke.

Wenger himself will have no role in that process and there is no immediate prospect of him taking on another position at Arsenal. Paris St Germain would like to speak with Wenger about becoming the club’s general manager alongside new head coach Thomas Tuchel.

Wenger wants to finish the season before holding any talks with any club. He said after Sunday’s big finale at The Emirates that he needed to “reconnect with himself” and understand what he now wants, but the 67-year-old’s instinct is to return quickly to frontline management at a major European club.

Although frequently perceived to be close to retirement, it is understood that Wenger is attracted to the idea of another project rather than simply the best pay-day and could see himself working well into his seventies.

Arsenal are now likely to begin an overhaul of Wenger’s coaching staff but current assistant Steve Bould is likely to be asked to stay on. Gazidis has been keen to involve former players in the club’s coaching set-up and captain Per Mertesacker, who also received a rapturous send-off at The Emirates on Sunday, will become the academy manager.