Arsene Wenger has put Arsenal in a great, great position

Arsene Wenger's exit from Arsenal is the biggest test the club will face in the coming years, says Gunners chief executive Ivan Gazidis.

Wenger this month celebrated 18 years as manager at Arsenal, who need look no further than Manchester United and life after Sir Alex Ferguson to see how difficult it is to replace such a pivotal figure at a football club.

The Frenchman, who is 65 next week, signed a three-year contract extension in May after ending a nine-year trophy drought by winning the FA Cup.

Wenger signed a new three-year contract in May and Ivan Gazidis (left) says it will be difficult to replace him

WENGER'S ARSENAL HONOURS 

FA Premier League: 1997–98, 2001–02, 2003–04

FA Cup: 1997–98, 2001–02, 2002–03, 2004–05, 2013–14

FA Community Shield: 1998, 1999, 2002, 2004, 2014

Gazidis told Arsenal Media: 'So much of the attention on a football club is around an individual and that's very understandable at Arsenal because we have a giant who's managing us.

'Arsene has been a fantastic driver and has put the club in a great, great position. The biggest challenge we're going to face as a club is that, when that transition from Arsene to the next manager of our football club happens - and I don't know when that's going to be - that we come through that strongly.'

Gazidis, who has been in post for six years, is optimistic for the future and wants Arsenal to join the world's elite.

Gazidis added: 'I wouldn't be doing this job if I didn't believe we could compete at the very top level. I know Arsene feels exactly the same way.

'Where we are currently is off the shoulder of the world's top teams.

'I think the best teams in the world are in Europe and you think about the great names in world football like Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich - I don't think we're at that level yet but that's where we're aiming to get to.

'It's one thing to say that and it's another thing to be able to deliver it.'