Arsene Wenger is preparing for contract talks with Jens Lehmann after admitting he fears the goalkeeper will leave Arsenal this summer. Lehmann's deal expires in June and the manager wants to keep the 37-year-old but will not give him more than a season's extension.
That is in line with his policy on players in their 30s but Lehmann is believed to have been offered longer deals abroad, with Hamburg, Stuttgart and Sevilla interested, and is now entitled to sign a pre-contract agreement.
Wenger insisted yesterday he had not held formal discussions with Lehmann, who returns for Arsenal today at Middlesbrough after three successive cup games for which Manuel Almunia was selected. "Basically we have not really sat down yet and spoken about a contract," he said.
Wenger is uncertain whether he will be able to persuade Lehmann to remain at Arsenal. "Ideally I would like him to stay," he said but emphasised: "He will not get more than one year."
The manager wants a decision before the end of the season and said Lehmann would not lose his status as number one if he plans to move: "If he says he's going to leave that won't affect him."
Almunia will be among a young team for the League Cup final against Chelsea. "I will pick a team with two things - a team that has a chance to win the trophy, because we do not fight like mad to hand the trophy over to Chelsea. And secondly, I will stick to what I did until now."
Wenger is so encouraged by the development of Arsenal's youngsters that he envisages making few signings this summer. However, he hinted that he would try to sign Gareth Bale after the left back stayed at Southampton. "The good thing is that we still have a chance," he said.
Ledley King's injury-interrupted season took a further turn for the worse yesterday when he was ruled out for another six to eight weeks because of a metatarsal problem.
The Tottenham Hotspur captain has not played since St Stephen's Day, when he suffered bone bruising to the same foot which the club initially thought would sideline him for about a week.
It is possible King will not return until April after scans revealed a stress injury to the fourth metatarsal in his left foot. It means Ricardo Rocha, a recent signing from Benfica, looks set for an extended run in the Spurs team, starting tomorrow at home to Manchester United, though there is competition from Anthony Gardner to partner Michael Dawson at the heart of the Tottenham defence.
Spurs are confident King will return to play an "important part" in their season but the defender has gone through 10 months to forget. Having suffered a metatarsal fracture last April, he sustained a knee injury in July which kept him out until early September and has since been sidelined by problems with his left foot. He has played in 21 of Tottenham's 38 matches so far in this campaign and will miss at least the next six games.
Collins John has been told by Fulham's manager, Chris Coleman, that he will have to give his all for the club or face four months without football after failing to earn a January move. The Dutchman turned down a transfer to Watford and will remain at least until the summer.
John will not feature in today's match with Newcastle United, having been given leave to think about his future.
Guardian Service
