Uncertain future: Robin van Persie could be the next out the door at Arsenal
Uncertain future: Robin van Persie could be the next out the door at Arsenal
Arsenal manager Wenger has revealed he has begun talking to star strikers Van Persie, Andrey Arshavin and Theo Walcott as well as defender Thomas Vermaelen and midfielder Alex Song about new contracts.
He wants to start securing the future of the next batch of players who have less than two years to run on their deals, to avoid the stresses he faced with Nasri and Clichy.
But after a summer when those two and, even more crucially, Cesc Fabregas left the club, he has been cautiously realistic about how those discussions might progress.
Wenger confirmed: ‘Signing up players to new contracts is a process that begins now.’
But when asked if he thought all five would agree new deals, he admitted: ‘We will try. But we tried before (with Nasri and Clichy). The gap on that front has become bigger for us, so I can’t say today that if we go to the maximum we are sure to sign the player.
Hit the Wal: Arsenal have had a terrible start to the season
Hit the Wal: Arsenal have had a terrible start to the season
‘We try to convince the players to stay. Our desire is there to do that and we are ready to sit down and talk.’
Arsenal were forced into selling Nasri and Clichy — both to Manchester City — in the summer after failing to agree new deals. Because the pair refused to sign contracts, Arsenal did not want to run the risk of losing the France players for nothing next summer, effectively forcing their decision to sell.
Arsenal’s stringent wage structure is also hindering Wenger’s hunt to sign the world-class talent he may need to persuade the likes of Van Persie that his long-term future is indeed with the Gunners.
Big money: Andrey Arshavin was brought in for £16.5m
Big money: Andrey Arshavin was brought in for £16.5m
Wenger’s future has been the subject of intense speculation during the opening weeks of the season due to their horrendous start — going into Saturday's Premier League game against Bolton his side sit 17th with just four points from five games.
But the Frenchman has hit back at his critics, strangely comparing himself to a bulletproof bear.
‘Since I’ve been in England there’s a lot of negative stuff said about me that is wrong, but I do not complain,’ said Wenger.
‘I’m supposed to take the bullets and absorb them like a bear and I don’t feel I’ve been knocked back too much. How many more bullets can I take? Endless bullets.
Bargain: Alex Song was signed for just £1m
Bargain: Alex Song was signed for just £1m
‘I understand the rules of the game. It’s the same when people say good things about me — it’s an emotional game.’
Sportsmail revealed this week how the idea of appointing a new coach had been floated to Wenger over the summer in a bid to freshen up the club’s backroom team.
The club have conceded 14 league goals already this season — the worst record in the top-flight — leading to suggestions that a defensive coach, in the mould of Steve Bould or Martin Keown, should be introduced to work specifically with the back four.
Wenger — who has revealed he has worked more with his defenders in training over the past week — angrily rejected the idea of adding to his coaching team after Tuesday’s 3-1 win over Shrewsbury in the Carling Cup and explained his decision.
Big miss: Arsenal have suffered from Thomas Vermaelen's constant injuries
Big miss: Arsenal have suffered from Thomas Vermaelen's injuries
‘I’m hands-on with my team because I’m not an intellectual. My job is to prove in practice what I think is right,’ said Wenger.
‘The most difficult thing to give to a team is a style of play and you can transmit that better on the training pitch.
‘At the age of 25 I was educating coaches for their licences because that is what I liked in the job and I’m ready to sit down with any coaches.’
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