Do reported managerial rebuffs suggest Arsenal have missed their chance?

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Arsenal are no longer a regular club in Europe’s elite competition.

According to a latest report in Sky Sports, former Borussia Dortmund manager Thomas Tuchel is said to prefer the Bayern Munich or Chelsea job over the managerial position at Arsenal.

The new follows that of Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers telling reporters for the Daily Mail of his preference to remain at Celtic Park instead of returning south of the border and to the Premier League.

Are Arsenal no longer considered a top proposition – or have they missed their chance of replacing Arsene Wenger with one of Europe’s leading figures?

The Gunners, currently sitting in sixth spot in the Premier League table, are in grave danger of missing out on the Champions League for a second successive season and that may have its consequences.

Wenger has built the North London club up to be widely considered as one of Europe’s top ten sides, both on and off the field, but the boat may now have passed due to their decline over the past two seasons.

It was only a year or two ago that Atletico Madrid’s Diego Simeone was sounded out as a possible Wenger replacement, yet now that only seems like a step down rather than the other way around.

Arsenal’s reputation soared during their heydays when they were battling for the Premier League title with Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United, while reaching the Champions League final in 2006.

The move to the Emirates Stadium was expected to establish their position as a leading Champions League club, but in contrast they’ve gradually regressed, and now they’ve potentially slipped out of that elite group.

Similar to former Italian giants Inter Milan and AC Milan, it appears Arsenal are no longer a desirable option and it begs the question of who the club can now realistically attract in order to replicate past glories.

Carlo Ancelotti remains a potential out-of-work manager who could fit the bill, but if Wenger stays on for yet another season, even that boat may pass along with their prospects of returning to the Champions League.