Arsene Wenger says he is not interested in Barcelona job when Luis Enrique leaves

Luis Enrique has announced he will step down from his position as Barcelona head coach at the end of the season Luis Enrique has announced he will step down from his position as Barcelona head coach at the end of the season

Arsene Wenger says he is not interested in taking over from Luis Enrique at Barcelona in the summer.

Enrique announced on Wednesday that he will leave his position as head coach at the Nou Camp at the end of the season.

Wenger's future as Arsenal boss remains uncertain, with his contract set to expire in the summer, but he admitted in February he would like to stay at the Emirates and later confirmed he will stay in management next season.

Luis Enrique has announced he will step down from his position as Barcelona head coach at the end of the season

But asked whether he would be interested in taking over at Barca, Wenger said: "No, my preference has always been the same and will remain the same.

"I am not looking for jobs in other clubs or jobs for other people. I am just focused on me getting to the next level and trying to improve.

"I think [to be a] competent manager is to always try to improve and to see what you can do better. To reinvent yourself. That's what I always try to do. That's it, basically."

Wenger reiterated that there is "no need to come back on" questions about whether he is close to a decision on his future, having previously stated he would make a decision in March or April and could yet manage for at least four more years.

Wenger's future came under fire when Arsenal were beaten 5-1 in the Champions League by Bayern Munich last week

Enrique's decision to announce his Barcelona exit midway through the season came as a surprise, but Wenger believes these types of public statements can be beneficial.

Asked if Enrique's early announcement would have a negative impact, Wenger said: "No not really, I believe that the players have their own targets, the team targets, I don't think that can be detrimental, it can be positive as well."

Wenger has already turned down a lucrative offer from China, according to several national newspapers, but the Gunners boss would not be drawn on the reports at his pre-match press briefing on Thursday morning ahead of his side's clash with Liverpool on Saturday.

"This [press] conference is about the game at Liverpool not about my own future and what I turned down or [did] not turn down," he said.

Arsenal made a host of changes for their FA Cup fifth-round win over Sutton United last weekend, following the heavy 5-1 defeat to Bayern Munich last week.

Several first-team regulars look set to come back into the side for their return to Premier League action this weekend, but Wenger insists his players do not owe him anything.

"They owe themselves a performance, you know," he said. "These are quality players. Everything went against us [in Munich]. We were 1-1 at half-time and in the second half everything went against us.

"We responded at Sutton and we want to respond again. After that we have an opportunity to show Bayern we can cause them problems."



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