Arsene Wenger will agree a new contract with Arsenal in the near future and is set to be significantly backed in the summer transfer window after the club yesterday announced a record £150 million (€180 million) kit deal with Puma, which lasts until 2019.
Wenger has hinted in recent weeks that a contract extension is not far off, despite admitting last summer that his future was not 100 per cent certain, and the Arsenal chief executive, Ivan Gazidis, said yesterday he was convinced that the Frenchman would commit to the club.
Gazidis, speaking at the Emirates Stadium during the unveiling of a lucrative kit deal with Puma worth £30 million a season for the next five years, said Wenger would remain at the helm and be supported in the transfer window as Arsenal strive to compete with the top clubs in Europe.
“We’ve always supported Arsene and Arsene has always been committed to this football club,” Gazidis said. “Arsene will be extending with us and at the right time we will make that announcement.
“He’s always been completely committed to this football club, it’s the football club of his life so we’re convinced at the right time we’ll quietly make an announcement and he’s the right person to see us forward. I’m convinced of that.”
20-year affiliation
Puma have required the rights to produce Arsenal-branded merchandise, as well as the club's training and first-team kits, in a deal that ends the club's 20-year affiliation with Nike, whose contract expires at the end of the season. On the kit deal, Gazidis added: "The money from this deal will be available to the club from this summer. This represents another important step forward in Arsenal's progression on and off the pitch."
Following a lengthy period of criticism for not spending large sums on big signings, Wenger broke Arsenal’s transfer record last summer with a €50 million deal for the Germany attacker Mesut Özil. Schalke’s Julian Draxler, another Germany forward, has been heavily linked with a €45 million move in the January window.
Arsenal, who hold a one- point lead over Manchester City at the top of the Premier League, play Southampton at St Mary’s this evening but are set to be without Jack Wilshere who is carrying an ankle injury.
Next month Arsenal play Liverpool in the league and FA Cup, Manchester United in the league and Bayern Munich in the last 16 of the Champions League. Wenger is confident that his side can withstand the tough spell without wilting as they have done in the past, although he questioned the role of TV companies when contributing to the buildup of games in quick succession.
Barca disappointment
He said: "In one week you can go out of everything. We went to Barca [in 2011] and went out on away goals, three days later we lost to Man United in the FA Cup because we had the disappointment of Barca. That's part of it."
Guardian Service
