Frenchman will enter a third decade at Arsenal and be given £100m transfer kitty after agreeing a deal until 2017 worth £7.5 million a year
Top of the world: Arsene Wenger is raised to the skies by jubilant Arsenal players
Worth £7.5 million a year, the contract had been offered to Wenger regardless
of whether Arsenal won the FA
Cup but the 64-year-old has now pledged to follow up his verbal
agreement by putting pen to paper before he travels to the World Cup. A
formal announcement is likely this week, potentially Wednesday or Thursday.
Arsenal’s dramatic 3-2 win against Hull City on Saturday was a record-equalling fifth FA Cup triumph for Wenger but, most significantly, was also the club’s first trophy since they moved from Highbury to the Emirates Stadium. Asked if he would sign a new contract before the World Cup, Wenger said: “Yes, because I go to Brazil on June 10.”
The timeframe of the deal is especially intriguing. Although three years has been Wenger’s usual length of contract – and that offer has been on the table since the autumn – he has never previously allowed an existing deal to completely run down. There was a theory that Wenger would leave had he not won the FA Cup — something he denies — or would at least have preferred either a one-year rolling deal or a shorter two-year arrangement.
Wenger will turn 65 later this year, meaning he will be 67 by the time this next contract expires. Having joined Arsenal in 1996, it would also take his total tenure at the club beyond 20 years. Wenger’s decision reflects his belief that the core of this current squad is again ready to seriously compete to win the Premier League or Champions League.
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