Paul Merson has told ESPN FC that Arsene Wenger looked "lost" during Arsenal's 5-1 Champions League thrashing against Bayern Munich and believes he will step down at the end of the season.
There has been plenty of speculation that Wenger will opt against extending his Arsenal contract at the end of the campaign following Wednesday's European embarrassment and will instead choose to bring an end to his time of over 20 years as the club's manager.
A source has told ESPN FC that Arsenal will not rush Wenger into making a decision about his future, but former Gunner Merson feels he will be calling it a day.
"It's the same old, same old," Merson said. "It's a shame but I do think it will be time [for him to leave at the end of the season]. And I think he will.
"I think he looked it last night, he looked like someone who was a bit lost if I'm honest. You don't want to see that. The man's a nice man and last night it looked like it took its toll."
Wenger and Arsenal's next game is against Sutton United in the FA Cup fifth round on Monday.
Merson, who played for Arsenal between 1985 and 1997, believes his old club may find it tough dealing with the plastic pitch at Gander Green Lane and says Wenger should field his strongest XI.
"They won't have an opportunity to train on the pitch so he'll be thinking, 'will I be able to pick [Danny] Welbeck and people like that and pick up niggly injuries or do I play them?'
"I'd play my best team, what else have they got? This is it, the FA Cup, again. They can't win the Premier League, they're definitely not winning the Champions League and for me this is it."