Arsenal are reportedly prepared to reward manager Arsene Wenger with a new two-year deal following the club’s FA Cup clash against Chelsea this weekend.
The contract extension is unlikely to be influenced by the Cup result with the club’s hierarchy having assured the Frenchman’s stay for a couple more seasons, The Times reports.
Wenger, 67, has received immense criticism from a section of the fans this season after the club failed to provide a decent challenge for the Premier League title.
Moreover, the Gunners also missed on Champions League qualification for the first time in 20 years, and this has only worsened the manager’s relationship with the club’s faithful.
According to The Times, the long-standing head coach will stay at the helm beyond the summer after he told his close associates of his proposed extension at the Emirates Stadium.
More than 15,000 spectators boycotted the Gunners’ 2-0 league win over Sunderland last week, but this has had no effect on the future of Wenger, who continues to get the back of owner Stan Kroenke.
Russian business magnate Alisher Usmanov, who holds a 30 percent share of the club’s holdings, had bid £1.3bn fee to take over full ownership from Kroenke, but the latter has no intention to sell as he plans to build a new-look side under Wenger next term.
Arsenal take on English champions Chelsea in the FA Cup final on Saturday, and they will have to produce one of their best performances with two of their key defenders ruled out of the Wembley encounter.
Laurent Koscielny received a straight red card for a nasty lunge on Everton’s Enner Valencia yesterday while Gabriel was stretchered off after damaging his left knee while tackling the same player.
