Emmanuel Petit has urged Arsene Wenger to step down as Arsenal manager at the end of this season and allow one of his proteges take charge at the Emirates Stadium.

The World Cup winner was signed by his fellow Frenchman while still a teenager at Monaco and then went on to lift the Premier League and FA Cup under his mentor in 1998.

However, Petit now feels that the time has come for Wenger to become a director of football and relinquish the day-to-day running of the team as an increasing number of supporters become disillusioned with the club's slide.

Emmanuel Petit arrived in Dublin on Tuesday with the UEFA Euro 2016 Trophy for a ticket giveaway

Petit and Carlsberg are giving Irish Fans the chance to join the Green Army in France this summer

Arsenal's 66-year-old manager Arsene Wenger speaks during a press conference on Tuesday evening

Speaking in Dublin on Tuesday, the 41-year-old explained: 'I am pretty sure he has to stay at the club but maybe it's time for him to open the door for something else as well. When I look at the former players from Arsenal, how many of them have their badges to manage a team?

'Dennis Bergkamp, Tony Adams, Patrick Vieira, many, many great players, they have their own statue in front of the stadium. I think Arsene... it's good to share the place with someone else and try to open the door to the former players.'

Petit definitely won't be one of them, though, joking that he prefers to coach his kids. His old midfield partner Vieira is also unlikely to return in the near future considering he is firmly entrenched in Manchester City's system and is currently in charge of New York City in Major League Soccer.

With the Gunners 11 points adrift of league-leaders Leicester City, Petit believes they are now out of the title race because they 'give up on the pitch' too easily when things don't go their way.

'I think Arsenal has been missing something for ages, it's mental,' he added. 'They've got great players and the way they used to play, for me is one of the best in Europe. But playing well on the pitch doesn't mean you're going to win the title.

'You can play badly as well but you win the game. One thing that's wrong with Arsenal is that you can see a lot of the players give up on the pitch. Mentally, I think they need to improve a lot but in terms of quality they have everything to win the title.

Former Gunners captain Tony Adams' statue, which Petit refers to, stands tall outside the Emirates

'I think Arsene has done a great job in the 20 years he has been there and I respect this very highly, but when you look at the title they won it was because they had great leaders in the team.

'They have great players but they are missing leaders and personality. If you want to win things, then you need to suffer.'

They have recently following their elimination from the FA Cup by Watford at the quarter stage on Sunday, not to mention managing just three victories in the league since the turn of the year. And Petit says it is impossible for them to overcome the 2-0 deficit against Barcelona in the Champions League on Wednesday night.

'I think he (Wenger) needs to be honest with them as well. If I was an Arsenal player, I would think to myself 'we lost the first leg 2-0, I haven't seen a team win 3-0 against Barcelona, it's impossible, how can we pretend to win against the best team in Europe when we can't win at home to Watford?'.

Petit says it is impossible for Arsenal to overcome their 2-0 deficit to Barcelona in the Champions League

'Barcelona are living in their own world for the last four-five years, it's just like Spain. What they are doing is unbelievable, they have this magician with Messi but they have more magicians in the team now. The gap between Arsenal and Barcelona is huge, in terms of performances, titles, the way they are every time they come on the pitch. There is no team better than Barcelona.'

Petit, who endured a troubled time at the Nou Camp after leaving London in 2000, fears the one player he could make a real difference at The Emirates is now out of their league.

'I would love to see Lewandowski coming to Arsenal but I am pretty sure he won' t leave Bayern Munich to come to Arsenal. There is [Pierre-Emerick] Aubameyang at Borussia Dortmund, he is having a great time, but they need a great holding midfielder, a real one.

Robert Lewandowski, who Petit would love to see at Arsenal, speaks at a pre-Juventus press conference

'I have seen so many holding midfielders in the past with Arsenal, they have used so many good players but if you want to win the Premier League, have a target to win the Champions League, you need to bring something to the team.'

Leicester City's N'Golo Kante has caught Petit's eye. 'He is a warrior, but as well, he is very intelligent, tactically. For me, he reminds me of (Claude) Makelele, the way he plays, the way he reads the display from the opponents.

'He is very intelligent as well when he gets the ball at his feet, he doesn't often lose the ball, he wins so many tackles, interceptions, his reading of the game is perfect.

'I'm not in Arsene's mind, but I'm pretty sure he is working already for the next season, on transfers.'

N'Golo Kante (centre) has caught Petit's eye: 'He is a warrior, but as well, he is very intelligent, tactically'