Key figures at Arsenal reportedly consider Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe as a viable contender to take over from longstanding boss Arsene Wenger. 

According to Neil Ashton of the Sun, the 38-year-old has impressed plenty in positions of power at the Emirates Stadium and is “under serious consideration” to replace the Frenchman when he does eventually step aside.

Wenger’s contract with the Gunners is due to expire at the end of the season, with no decision made on whether he’ll extend it.

It’s difficult not to be impressed with the work done by Howe during his time at the Vitality Stadium in two stints at the club.

He took the manager’s job permanently in 2009 and, despite the club being hit with a 17-point penalty in the fourth tier of English football, he steered the Cherries clear of the drop.

Howe departed for Burnley in 2011, although he returned to Bournemouth the following year. Since then, he’s helped the club to two further promotions, and in their first season in the top flight in 2015-16, he was able to keep the south-coast side comfortably afloat in the Premier League.

As part of his plan to secure safety for a second season running, Howe has made some major acquisitions in the transfer market, including the capture of Jack Wilshere on loan from Arsenal. Bleacher Report’s Jack Lusby has been impressed with the recruitment:

What’s made Howe’s rise and subsequent stabilisation of Bournemouth all the more impressive is just how easy on the eye their football is.

According to Ashton, Wenger himself, a purveyor of eye-catching and technical play, is a “firm admirer” of the manner in which the Cherries coach goes about his business.

Of course, Arsenal may not even be on the lookout for a new manager next summer should Wenger opt to stay. Ashton noted the option is there for the current boss to extend his deal should he wish, although fan opinion remains divided on the 66-year-old, with the Gunners’ last league title coming in 2004.

Based on the summer transfer activity conducted by the club, Bleacher Report’s James McNicholas is unsure whether Wenger will step aside:

If he did and Arsenal were to opt for Howe, it’d be a huge step up for the charismatic Bournemouth boss.

While his record to this point is impressive, the expectations he’d face at the Emirates would be massively inflated compared to what he’s used to; it’s something he didn’t cope particularly well with when making the switch to Burnley.

Even so, Howe will have learned plenty from his time at Turf Moor and has cut his teeth in the Premier League already.

If Wenger does make way at the end of this season, plenty tied to the London club would want to see a thoroughbred winner targeted; the Bournemouth chief would be a gamble, although there’s no denying his potential to be one of the managerial stars of the future.