Stojkovic: I Want to Move to the Premier League

Arsene Wenger's preferred successor to his Arsenal throne, Dragan Stojkovic, has revealed that he wants a move to the Premier League after spending six years in the J-League with Nagoya Grampus.

The Yugoslavian, who played under Wenger when the Frenchman was part of the coaching unit for two years in Japan, is a huge fan of the 64-year-old and wants to emulate his success by making a move to the Premier League. He is currently unemployed after refusing to extend his contract, having secured Grampus their first J-League in their history.

Stojkovic is now looking for bigger challenges and with Wenger ready to retire in three years' time, a move to Arsenal in a coaching capacity, grooming him for the big future is not a distant possibility.

"I respect English football very much and the Premier League is an incredible league," Stojkovic told talkSPORT.

"Of course [I would like to manage in the Premier League]. Why not? I believe I have enough knowledge about modern football to be part of the development of English football.

"I have had a few meetings [with English clubs] but I am still waiting for a good offer," he added.

Wenger had previously earmarked him as a suitable candidate for Arsenal in an interview. However, with the level of competition as it is and the amount of money being put into the game, it will be difficult for a man to come in from a different continent and adjust to the rigours of Europe.

"I would love Stojkovic to be my successor, there are a hundred reasons for that. Our ideas are the same and we both strive for perfect football. I knew he was going to have teams playing attacking football with many passes," Wenger had said in 2011.

''He has done that, showing he will be a great coach.I told him that if he could transmit his football imagination to his players he would fly high," he continued.

When grilled about the possibility, Stojkovic revealed that he is still in touch with Wenger and the Frenchman is a good friend with whom he shares a congenial relationship.

"Arsene Wenger is a friend of mine and that relationship and friendship exists from 1995," he said.

"If you remember how he changed Arsenal, the way they play, the style and the quality, this is the same style I used in the last six years, and Grampus became champions for the first time in their history thanks to that work.

"It is my objective to teach players to play in an attacking style and to give pleasure to the fans," he concluded.