Alisher Usmanov believes that Arsene Wenger should be involved in picking his successor at Arsenal.

• Usmanov owns 30.04% of Arsenal
• Stan Kroenke owns 67.05%
• Usmanov has no place on the Arsenal board

Arsenal’s second highest shareholder, Alisher Usmanov, has suggested that Wenger is the best person to help pick a manager to lead the club after he’s left.

“Some continuity is needed,” Usmanov told Bloomberg. “This includes the need to prepare a successor for Wenger, but in a very respectful way. I can suggest that Wenger himself can prepare a successor.” 

He later added, “I personally, unfortunately, am fully isolated from decision making in the club.

“All the responsibility for the fate of the club rests with the main shareholder.”

The Uzbek-born Russian business tycoon believes that majority shareholder, Stan Kroenke, should “bear huge responsibility” when it comes to the future of Arsenal Football Club, also saying, “I do not think that the coach alone is to be blamed for what is happening.”

Usmanov has always been a supporter of Wenger, describing the Frenchman as ‘a gift’ back in 2015. However, it still remains to be seen whether the boss will remain at Arsenal past this season. Although it’s looking likely, nothing has been confirmed one way or the other.

You have to imagine that when Wenger does leave, he will at the very least have some sort of input on who he’d like to take over from him.