Football Association Chief Executive Officer Martin Glenn has said Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger is one of the most suitable candidates for the role of England manager.
The FA has been in a fix since Sam Allardyce resigned as England manager by mutual consent with the governing body. The 61-year-stepped down after he was reportedly caught in a newspaper sting trying to use his role to negotiate £400,000 deal for himself.
He also allegedly gave advice to undercover reporters who were posing as businessmen from Far East on how to bend the FA's rules on third-party player ownership, as reported by the Telegraph.
The FA is facing the task of appointing a new England manager for the second time in less than four months as former in-charge Roy Hodgson stepped down in June following the Three Lions' poor show in the 2016 European Championship.
U21 manager Gareth Southgate has been appointed as the caretaker for the senior side's next four fixtures while the FA is in search of a full-time successor to Allardyce.
Glenn revealed that the FA would prefer someone with Premier League experience but maintained they were open to non-English managers. His revelation of the governing body's intentions comes after Wenger said he would take up the role "one day".
Notably, the Arsenal manager's name was doing rounds after Hodgson's exit as well and the 66-year-old had said he would never rule himself out and added England was his second country.
"Of course he [Wenger] would fit the criteria perfectly. Of course he would, as would a few others," Glenn was quoted as saying by ESPN.
Also, Glenn said the FA would not rule out the possibility of Southgate's extension. He said the next four games for England, which includes three 2018 Fifa World Cup qualifier matches, would give the former Middlesbrough manager enough time to get used to the job.
"I think he is a genuine contender, but this is not an audition," the CEO added.
"I am delighted with the four games because it gives us preparation time, time to think and him the time to really get into it. He has a choice to make at the end of that whether he really wants to throw his hat into the ring."
