Arsenal: Borussia Dortmund boss Jurgen Klopp a 'perfect fit' to replace Arsene Wenger

Borussia Dortmund's outgoing manager Jurgen Klopp, would be the perfect man to replace Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger in the event that he decides to step down from his current role, according to former Gunners defender Nigel Winterburn.

The affable Klopp will be on the lookout for a new job this summer, having recently signalled his intention to depart Signal Iduna Park in search of a fresh challenge after seven years and two Bundesliga titles.

While the German's overwhelmingly positive reputation may have suffered a slight knock following an injury-plagued campaign in which Dortmund previously flirted alarmingly with relegation, he remains a popular figure and is expected to receive interest from a number of top clubs both in the immediate future and at the end of the season.

Klopp's admirable commitment to a philosophy that requires his teams to play a particularly entertaining and memorable brand of football has previously led to strong suggestions that he could be the ideal candidate to succeed Wenger.

"If Arsene Wenger decides to step down or move upstairs, then obviously he's a manager with the credentials, the way his teams play, I think a lot of people would think it's a perfect fit," Winterburn, who spent 13 years at Arsenal between 1987 and 2000 and played under Wenger prior to his retirement, told Goal.

"It sounds good, it sounds right, I think in essence you never really know until that manager comes in and you see the players leave and the players come in, and where the team will finish. It looks right, but again I would always hold judgment and wait – while supporting that manager – until he's had at least one season to show what his methods are and what he can do for the football club."

Despite maintaining that Wenger should see out the remainder of his two-year contract at the Emirates Stadium, Winterburn's comments would appear to suggest Arsenal could face an imminent conundrum regarding their managerial post.

Wenger finally succeeded in ending the club's lengthy silverware drought last season by winning the FA Cup and has guided them to the final once again this term, while Arsenal sit in second place in the Premier League following an eight-match winning run.

With that in mind, it seems highly unlikely that the club's hierarchy will choose to dispense of Wenger's services at a relatively successful time having backed him so vociferously when he was attracting increasingly unsympathetic criticism from certain sections of supporters during the leaner years.

However, if they really do view Klopp as the consummate replacement, they will surely have to move soon given he has already hinted he is unlikely to embark on a sabbatical akin to the one taken by Pep Guardiola following his departure from Barcelona in 2013.

Klopp may view Arsenal as a suitable future employer, although he is unlikely to be short of enticing offers in the coming weeks and it is wholly unfeasible to expect him to wait for Wenger to leave of his own accord.