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Arsenal want Patrick Vieira back at The Emirates – to shadow Arsene Wenger in his last seasons in charge of the Gunners.

And the clear incentive for former Arsenal icon Vieira, currently behind the scenes at Manchester City, is the chance to take the reins from his fellow Frenchman once Wenger ­decides to step down as manager.

It’s a bold move by Arsenal who like the path of succession currently being tried at Old Trafford, with Ryan Giggs learning the ropes from experienced boss Louis van Gaal with a view to taking over at Manchester United at the start of the 2017-18 season.

Arsenal’s board know their 66-year-old boss won’t go on forever and they are exploring the feasibility of a similar route with club favourite Vieira, writes Steve Bates in the Sunday People.

The Gunners plan is worrying news for City who are aware of Arsenal’s interest in enticing 39-year-old Vieira back to his spiritual home.

(Image: Daily Mirror)

Vieria, who played 406 times for Arsenal in a nine year spell between 1996 and 2005, is boss of City’s Under-21 Elite Development Squad as well as overseeing other key areas of the club’s youth coaching structure.

The French World Cup winner is highly valued by City’s senior executives including chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak who has the ear of billionaire owner Sheikh Mansour.

But it’s unclear whether his own management ambitions at City are matched by the Blues hierarchy who have been consistently linked with moves for Pep Guardiola, who is expected to leave Bayern Munich next summer.

(Image: Paolo Bruno) (Image: Alexander Hassenstein/Bongarts/Getty Images) (Image: Matthew Lewis)

New deal: Gunners board could hand Wenger an extension

With Arsenal hovering, I understand he was sounded out about becoming boss of City’s American sister club New York City in MLS.

He turned down that opportunity and that’s encouraged Arsenal they can tempt him back to London.

Wenger signed a three year contract extension in May last year taking him up to June 2017.

The Gunners hierarchy are also weighing up a new two-year deal, by the end of which he will be almost 70, and have been in charge at Arsenal for 23 years.