Arsene Wenger has reaffirmed his desire to stay at Arsenal revealing he plans to put pen-to-paper on a new contract at the end of the season.
While the club have been keen to stress that negotiations over an extension have been smooth, the lack of official confirmation has led to suggestions the Frenchman could leave when his current deal expires in the summer.
Easing those worries, Wenger told press yesterday that he’s not looking for a different challenge and that his commitment to the Gunners remains total.
“It will be done soon,” said the 64-year-old of a new contract. “But I want now to focus on the end of the season.”
“I want to do well. And the expectation level and the impatience is there. My commitment is full.
“I do not want to look somewhere else. I want to stay here. There shouldn’t be any uncertainty at all. My desire is to stay. It will be done soon but I want now to focus on the end of the season.”
Wenger also took the time to speak about the praise directed at him by Sir Alex Ferguson who hailed his old adversary’s ‘energy and desire’ on the eve of his 1000th game in charge at Arsenal.
“Yes of course [that means a lot] because he knows how difficult it is. We are in a job where you have to win. But the truth is that the ambition of every great club must be to win and to win with style, and to think of the people who pay a lot of money to come to watch the matches.
“You always have to have it in your mind that you want people to wake up in the morning with a love of going to the stadium and for them to go home having enjoyed themselves.
“In fact, the real goal of professional football entails not just winning but also enabling people to discover the pleasure of watching something beautiful.”
The best manager in the premier league era period. Congratulations Arsene, you deserve all the plaudits in the world. C’mon lads, let’s beat the the shit from west London for our manager. One Arsene Wenger!
Hate to say it, but he’s the second best.
Better win ratio for the first 1000 games, hobbled with little money for half that time (£6m net spend). Who’s best?
Well, trophies say otherwise. You can’t speculate, what if Wenger had more money? What if we hadn’t built the stadium?
As I said, I hate Ferguson with a passion, but give credit where it’s due.
We see so little of what he actually does and how we works, reading up on it in recent times has given me a lot more respect for the man. He really is a genius and we are lucky to have him. This news has made my week! I came across an old article in the Guardian from 2003 which partly talked about the paedophile rumours that arose when he first started. Obviously it was the gutter press peddling this story (I’m surprised he still talks to them) and his actions in response to it were just classic Wenger, what… Read more »
And the link if anyone wants to read the whole article on Wenger from 2003 – it’s excellent pre game reading. http://www.theguardian.com/football/2003/aug/18/sport.comment
The smoothest “Shut up fam” I’ve ever seen
OMG! WTF! He is totts going to like stay.
Don’t make me tap the comment policy sign!
I’m not normally a praying man,but if your up there superman…..
As sad as his departure would be, it would be a fitting end to his Arsenal career if we win the double this year. COYG
Anyone else bragging to their friends that we have won the FA Cup already? It’s an amazing feeling, imagine winning the premier league 🙂
…Arsenal fan since I was 12 (2006) so never witnessed Arsenal win anything before! COYG
Same, since i was 8/9 in 2006, never seen us lift a cup 🙁 One can only watch countless Youtube videos of the invincibles season and dream :’) One day, my friend; probably this May.
Come on Blogs – let’s see the replies to this story before and after the result today……
Well, he isn’t leaving anytime soon and thank God for that. He truly deserves to reap where/what he has sown. It would take a very bitter person(The Moaning One)not to realize and acknowledge this.
Serge. Have you just gone straight to comments without reading the article?
Hold your horses, Serge. We WILL win the Cup, we haven’t yet.
That’s so good to know. Given he is extended contracts for all the important players it would have been travesty for them if he left.
Also, we have now got a team that can challenge all the domestic cups and trophies. All we need is 2 to 3 quality additions in the summer.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1kP63b_V5X4
Take a look at this comment Maureen, you might learn something
“…. the real goal of professional football entails not just winning but also enabling people to discover the pleasure of watching something beautiful.”
That is class.
Hate to say it, but it sounds to me like it’s a money issue. Both sides clearly want Wenger to re-sign, but both are noncommittal about when that will happen or how it will happen.
That said, I imagine we won’t be too shy about offering him the money he deserves once it comes down to it.
Most of us want you too. Hope the footy gods smile on you today. A win would be magical.
Gooners, always remember this…when Arsenal took 40,000 over to Copenhagen (some without tickets) for the final vs Parma, Chelsea played against Coventry on the same evening at home. They had a huge crowd of 8,000. No Sugar Daddy. no fans. We are Arsenal. Always be proud of that.
I know it’s a little early, but are any DC Gooners going to the Lucky Bar to watch the game? Not sure what time it opens
Lets all just slow down with the ‘we’ve won the cup already’crap (yes I thumbed you down). I usually am not superstitious, but when it comes to arsenal I genuinely believe my individual fan performance/where I watch the batch/what I’m wearing actually influence the result. Ridiculous I know but can you honestly say you’re any different? Don’t jinx us by taking anything for granted! Two games to go, we can gloat all we want if we get the results in those.
Merci, Arsène, merci beaucoup !
honestly a deal till 2016 shud be penned by him,i want my arsenal to properly challenge for league and europe,and that aint gona happen with giroud as a striker and lack of tactics against good teams