I HAVE TWO MORE YEARS ...I’M GOING NOWHERE
Wenger insists he will see out his contract and admits Sanchez could be off soon - but he hopes to keep Ozil and Wilshere at the Gunners
ARSENE WENGER has insisted he has no intention of leaving Arsenal this summer and will remain in charge at least until 2019.
Wenger’s future has come under renewed scrutiny after a disappointing first half of the season, with Carlo Ancelotti rated a potential successor.
And the Gunners face losing star duo Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil, who have only six months left on their contracts.
Wenger admitted Sanchez will be sold this month because he has refused to extend his deal but says he is more optimistic that Ozil will re-sign and expects Jack Wilshere to pen a new deal.
Wenger took some pinning down yesterday because he is anxious to avoid a repeat of last season when his future became a weekly topic of discussion.
But eventually the 68-year-old made it crystal clear he is going nowhere. “I am always committed. I have been here for 21 years,” said Wenger. “So in every single decision I do what is right for the club. If it is me in charge or somebody else, you can only do what is best for the club. It has nothing to do with my personal situation.”
So, will he definitely be in charge next season?
“My contract clarifies that. Did I ever walk away? Never. Why should I change?”
Wenger was equally clear about the futures of Sanchez, Ozil and Wilshere.
Despite claiming as recently as Wednesday that he wanted to keep Sanchez, he appeared yesterday to have given up pretending. But he says the club is still in talks with Germany international Ozil.
Despite interest from Manchester United and Barcelona, Wenger believes Arsenal stand a chance of keeping him, having already made a contract offer worth £275,000 a week. Wenger said: “It looks like Sanchez will not extend his contract. But we want to keep Jack and if we have an opportunity to keep Ozil, the rebuild will be less deep than if all three left.
“There is still an opportunity for him (Ozil) to stay. These guys want to win and they want to make money as well. Incidentally he’s won trophies with us. So he wants to fight as well for the Premier League.” There was a split in the boardroom last summer over whether Wenger should have been given a new deal but majority shareholder Stan Kroenke makes the final call and remains supportive.
But the “catalyst for change” that Arsenal chief executive Ivan Gazidis spoke about last year is taking shape – even if Wenger has survived.
Privately, Wenger knows the landscape is changing and he is losing his power but there is no way he will stand aside next summer. Being forced out is another matter but, if the coup failed last year, there is no reason to think it will work this year.
Arsenal have brought in a new head of recruitment in Sven Mislintat, ex-Barcelona chief executive Raul Sanllehi is their new head of football relations, while Huss Fahmy was recruited from Team Sky to oversee contract negotiations. Wenger’s close allies, transfer fixer Dick Law – who is expected to stand aside when Sanllehi starts his duties on February 1 – and chief scout Steve Rowley are moving aside with a new scouting and recruitment team taking shape.
There is talk that other longserving members of staff have decided to go at the end of the season as they can see the writing on the wall.
The other part of the new world order at Arsenal is a fresh approach to contracts – Wenger insists more clubs will allow players to see out their deals rather than fork out on renewals.
Arsenal have a host of players – including Wales midfielder Aaron Ramsey and England striker Danny Welbeck – out of contract in 18 months but there is not the same level of panic to get them tied down.
We might see it as bad planning, Arsenal may view it as a conscious decision.
Wenger added: “With inflation the way we have it at the moment, players going to the end of the contract will happen more and more. For one simple reason: the transfer fees are too high.”