Wenger committed to Arsenal

Arsene Wenger has no plans to leave ‘Arsenal like a thief in the night’ and will see out the remainder of his contract with the Gunners.



Wenger has been mentioned as a possible successor to Carlo Ancelotti at Paris Saint-Germain, should the Italian make the switch to Real Madrid in the summer, but he has continually denied rumours surrounding his future.



The Frenchman still has another year to run on his current deal at the Emirates and, while he is an admirer of PSG, he insists he has not spoken to the Ligue 1 club about the possibility of taking over from Ancelotti.



“I’ve not had any contact with PSG. I won’t leave Arsenal like a thief in the night. I’ll respect my contract through to 2014,”Wenger told beIN Sport.



“I’ve followed their season. They have built their success through a kind of individual superiority and a collective one which they discovered via the Champions League. It’s been quite tough for them in Ligue 1.



“As for me, I have a contract with Arsenal, where I’ve been for 17 years, and I don’t see myself leaving the club like a thief and not respecting my contract.”

Wenger rules out PSG

Arsene Wenger has dismissed speculation linking him with Paris Saint-Germain by insisting he still loves his job at Arsenal.

Wenger has faced criticism this season after the Gunners again failed to land a trophy and his relationship with the fans has been strained by a string of dismal results.

Reports suggested the Frenchman could cut short his lengthy spell at Arsenal and link-up with Paris Saint-Germain before his contract runs out in 2014.

But Wenger has ruled out a return to his home country as he remains passionate about his job at the Emirates and hopes to even extend his reign.

When asked about his future, he said:

"I answered that question already. I respect my contracts. Football excites me...my love for this club excites me."

Questioned about a possible new deal, Wenger added:

"I want to stay if I do well, if the club considers I do well."

Arsenal will be hoping to maintain their push for a Champions League place on Saturday with a win over QPR, who were relegated last weekend, but Wenger refuses to write off the west Londoners.

"Every game gives you a different problem. Everybody is really focused and wants to do well," he said.

"All their recent games have been tight. We want to make sure this little percentage goes for us.

"It can happen that they play with less pressure and less fear [after being relegated]."

Arsenal will end their difficult campaign on a high if they finish in the top four and Wenger insists that progress has been made.

"Since January, we have become stronger and stronger. That's important going into next season," he said.

"We had to rebuild the team in the last two seasons. We have moved forward in the second part of this season considerably.

"I want this club to do well. We have gone through a sensitive period but I believe the club is in a good position for the future.

"I do my job with a lot of commitment and a lot of loyalty. I try to do as best as I can for this club."

Wenger: Cazorla should have been in team of the year

Arsene Wenger believes Santi Cazorla deserved to be included in this season’s PFA Team of the Year.



Cazorla’s debut season with the Gunners has seen the Spaniard feature in every Premier League game, netting 12 times with seven assists, but he was overlooked for the Team of the Year.



Wenger was surprised the Spanish playmaker did not feature as he feels he fully deserved to be included.



“I am sure he must have been very close to be in there. In my opinion he deserved to be there based on the consistency and quality of his performances,” Wenger told Arsenal Player.



“And then there are the number of chances and assists he created. I think he deserved to be in there.”



Wenger has been impressed with Cazorla since his arrival from Malaga last summer but admits he has been amazed at his stamina during the season.



“I’ll tell you something – if you count the number of training sessions he has missed it will be similar to that [the games he has missed],” he said.



“I can’t remember the number of sessions where he had an injury. His consistency has been remarkable for the games and the training sessions. And one might explain the other one.



“I was not aware of it [Cazorla's stamina before he signed],” added Wenger. “I did check the number of games he played but I was not aware that he would have such stamina in the Premier League.



“I expected him to miss more games because the league is very tough physically. The duels are tough. It shows he has a remarkable body but it shows he is intelligent as well because he knows where to go [on the pitch].”

Wenger calls for respect for former star

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger insists that the Gunners will respect former player Robin van Persie on his return to the Emirates on Sunday.



The Dutchman left the club last season after eight years service at the club, and it was his hat-trick on Monday night that saw Manchester United crowned English league champions for the 20th time.



Monday’s achievement means that Arsenal will clap United onto the pitch before the game in a guard of honour, which is likely to anger the fans, who are still bitter over the van Persie affair.



Poznan



Rumours circulating on Twitter last night suggested that Arsenal fans will do a Manchester City style ‘Poznan’ when United walk onto to the pitch. Take a look at the video below which shows Arsenal imitating the Poznan last year in a 1-0 victory over Man City.



Wenger however has stated that the £24million man will not be disrespected by his former employees.

“We will respect the players that have played for us a long time as we always have done and treat them well before and after the game,” Wenger said, as reported by The Independent.



“As a champion or not as a champion it is exactly the same. What I want is for us to have a good game and to beat them, it doesn’t matter what kind of status they come with.”

Arsenal must be careful not to be distracted by the return of the Flying Dutchman, as a victory is needed to keep themselves in the top four.



Focus

“Their players are of the highest level, you can’t just focus on one player because their team is full of players who can create and score,” Arsenal defender Nacho Monreal said, as reported by the newspaper.



“We must be on our guard and be aware of certain key players, like Robin, who has scored a sack of goals this year and is playing well. He is one of their main threats."

Wenger's Chelsea fears

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has admitted he is "afraid" of Chelsea's potential summer spending spree in the transfer market under a new manager.



Chelsea are expected to appoint a new manager at the end of the season with interim boss Rafa Benitez unlikely to stay on at Stamford Bridge and Blues owner Roman Abramovich is likely to give his new manager substantial funds to bolster the squad.



Wenger is expecting big moves from Chelsea in the transfer market with the likes of Atletico Madrid striker Radamel Falcao strongly linked with a transfer and the Gunners chief fears how strong their London rivals could become with more additions in the summer



"I'm afraid of what Chelsea can do in the summer," the Frenchman told Eurosport.



"We have to be prepared for them to be one of the biggest movers in terms of investment once the window opens.



"Even though they already have a great base to their squad, notably their young players such as Oscar, Juan Mata, Ramires and Eden Hazard, I think they will be busy during the transfer window.



"We've heard a lot of talk about Atletico Madrid striker Radamel Falcao. Some people say it's already a done deal, but I've heard nothing."



Wenger also admitted Jose Mourinho would be a good choice to return to the Chelsea managerial hot seat even though he feels Benitez has done a good job at Stamford Bridge.



"I think Chelsea currently have a great coach in Rafa Benitez, but if they part ways at the end of season, of course Jose Mourinho would be a good solution for Chelsea," added Wenger.



"Mourinho is one of the best in the world. But I consider Benitez to be doing a good job at Stamford Bridge."

Podolski linked with Arsenal exit

Arsenal forward Lukas Podolski feels as though he might be forced out of the club by Arsene Wenger, The Sun has revealed.



The Germany international joined the Gunners in a €12 million deal from Koln last summer and he enjoyed a bright start to his career at the Emirates.



However, he was recently relegated to the bench by Arsene Wenger and he now fears for his Arsenal future.



“Lukas is very happy at Arsenal, he loves the fans and enjoys living in London but he is increasingly worried that Wenger may have a problem with him,” a source close to the player told The Sun.



“He is frustrated at not playing for such a long time. He is an experienced player and he wants to play football.”



Lukas Podolski has managed to justify his price tag by scoring 8 goals and setting up another 9 in 26 Premier League appearances, but it appears that he is no longer considered an important member of the side.



The 27-year-old could be sold in the summer as Arsene Wenger prepares a major squad overhaul, with Atletico Madrid and Juventus reportedly keen.



Podolski has in turn lost his starting place in the national team as well, as he has yet to start a match in the 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign.

Nasri: 'Stan Kroenke forced Wenger to sell me'

Samir Nasri has insisted that Arsene Wenger was forced to sanction his transfer to Manchester City by Arsenal owner Stan Kroenke.

Nasri joined Roberto Mancini's side in 2011 for a fee of £24m, just weeks after Cesc Fabregas left the Emirates Stadium for Barcelona.



The French midfielder has revealed that Wenger had no say in his sale and that he was forced to leave for sporting reasons in search of silverware.



He told beIN Sport: "Wenger told me that if Cesc left, I would stay but Kroenke wanted the money.



"The coach told me we'll only take Gervinho. Cesc was already gone, I had only one year left so I decided to leave.



"I do not have regrets. I do not regret joining Manchester City. I want to play and perform. My departure from Arsenal was purely for sporting reasons."



The 25-year-old has been a peripheral figure at the Etihad Stadium this season, with Mancini admitting last weekend that the playmaker's inconsistent form has left him frustrated.

Wenger thinks Messi should win Ballon d'Or

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger does not like the Ballon d'Or in principle but admits he would vote for Lionel Messi if the award was decided on 'class'.

Barcelona's Argentine superstar is the runaway favourite to collect the accolade for a fourth consecutive year when it is announced on 7th January after an astonishing 2012.



Messi earlier in November surpassed Pele's 75-goal record of goals for club and country in a calendar year and is now on 82 to leave him just behind former West Germany and Bayern Munich striker Gerd Muller's 1972 record of 85.



But Wenger, who has always believed in praising the team ethic over the individual, thinks other the contenders - Messi's Barcelona team-mate, Spain international Andres Iniesta, and long-term rival, Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo - would also deserve the Ballon d'Or.



The Arsenal boss said: "It's very difficult. For the class, Messi. He's scored 76 goals in one year. It looks just outrageous to me. Therefore it would be one thing to reward something exceptional.



"Ronaldo, has always been there and he deserves it as well. He won the Spanish championship.



"Iniesta won the European Championship with the national team and therefore, you could reward him.



"I'm not a big fan of these things. If you judge purely the class, you judge Messi.



"If you want the achievement of the year, you would choose Ronaldo and maybe Iniesta in second. That's how I see it."

Wenger could sign two players in January

Arsene Wenger is preparing to strengthen his Arsenal squad in the January transfer window with possible moves planned for two players.

Wenger revealed that the club have made funds available to him in order to bring new faces in after a frustrating start to the Premier League season.

Schalke striker Klaas Jan Huntelaar, PSV Eindhoven midfielder Kevin Strootman and Crystal Palace youngster Wilfried Zaha have all been linked, but Wenger refused to disclose details.

"This winter we will work very hard because we have some funds available," he told French television station beIN Sport. "It could happen that we buy two players, but I cannot reveal the names."

The Arsenal boss also talked of reviving a move for Thierry Henry from New York Red Bulls, but insisted his focus was bringing players on a permanent basis rather than loan.

"A loan [for Henry] is still a possibility, but we will still try to strengthen for the long term," he said.

"Henry is the talent that you dream to have. He has fantastic physique, fantastic technique, a fantastic brain, all built together in one man.

"At the start he was not confident enough but he has gone on to show what a great player he is."

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Wenger: Wilshere's becoming our Cesc

Arsene Wenger says Jack Wilshere is taking on the same qualities as Cesc Fabregas after the England midfielder inspired Arsenal to a 2-0 win over Montpellier in the Champions League on Wednesday.



Wilshere made a well-timed break into the penalty area early in the second half to make a crucial breakthrough for Arsenal, latching onto Olivier Giroud's header to poke past the Montpellier goalkeeper.



It was a goal that eventually led to a victory that sweeps Arsenal into the knockout stages of the Champions League, with Lukas Podolski making things safe later in the game - rattling home a piledriver of a volley.



Wenger was asked of Wilshere's likeness to Fabregas, who used to pull the strings for the Gunners, and he responded on Sky Sports: "Yes. He is getting stronger physically and tonight he got in the box.



"He is a complete midfielder - he can defend well and attack well. This sort of situation will give him confidence."



Wenger made no bold predictions, though, about Arsenal winning their maiden Champions League trophy, preferring to take each tie as it comes in the last-16.



"We don't worry too much about that," the Frenchman said. "When you are in this competition you just want to get into the next round. Now we go into a cup competition."



Wilshere sounded a note of caution to Gunners fans, preferring to focus on the task of topping the group before they even think about getting to the quarter-finals.



"We started off sloppy. But we've still got one game left. We need to finish top," the youngster said.



"The first half was hard - we were sloppy, we gave the ball away and weren't ourselves so needed to come and get an early goal.



"We have to step it up. Tonight wasn't good enough, especially in the first half. We've got to play the best teams to win it so it doesn't matter who we get."

Henry could join Arsenal for third spell - Wenger

Arsene Wenger said he is not ruling out former striker Thierry Henry having a third spell at Arsenal.

Henry has scored 228 goals in 377 games for Arsenal 

The 35-year-old has been training at the Gunners' Hertfordshire base to maintain fitness following the end of his MLS season with New York Red Bulls.



Henry returned on loan last year, making four appearances and extending his club record goal tally to 228.



Wenger said: "Will I sign him again in January? I don't rule it out. I don't know if he is interested. He is sharp."



Wenger said Henry's arrival could again compensate for the absence of Ivory Coast forward Gervinho at the start of 2013.

He said: "We will lose Gervinho again as they are playing in the African Cup of Nations two years in a row, so we will be confronted with a shortage particularly if [striker] Marouane Chamakh should go. I cannot stand in his way, then we will be short."



Wenger added: "You know what Thierry gives you; he gives you hope, especially when he comes on, that is the most important thing.



"Thierry is a communicator, an extrovert, very intelligent. He can only give good advice to players because he was in their position when he arrived here.



"I think now this team has an exceptionally good character. There are not many flashy boys. What is the most important thing is not whether you are an extrovert, but what it means to you to do well, your job, your will to win."

Wenger: Cazorla played key role in Gunners bright start

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger believes in-form summer signing Santi Cazorla is bringing the best out of his side.

Cazorla has played a key role in the Gunners' bright start to the season and was influential to their 3-1 victory at West Ham on Saturday evening.



The industrious Spaniard, who arrived from Malaga in August, crowned an impressive display when he cracked in a superb 25-yard left-foot effort to wrap up the 3-1 win with seven minutes left.



Wenger believes Cazorla makes the rest of his side work harder and admits the player is so good it is difficult to tell which is his stronger foot.



"Cazorla makes everybody a better player," said the French boss.



"When you see these kind of players don't play for Spain [regularly], it just goes to show how good they are.



"He is right footed, but when you watch him play you don't know.



"Glenn Hoddle was like that, left-footed, right-footed, you could not say what he was, Cazorla is on that front similar.



"I don't remember anyone else I have worked with who was as much two-footed as that."

Arsenal to offer Arsene Wenger a new contract

Arsene Wenger will always be an "Arsenal man" but says he is in no hurry to open talks over a new contract at Emirates Stadium.



Gunners chief executive Ivan Gazidis has indicated the club are ready to offer the long-serving Frenchman fresh terms before his current deal expires in 2014.



But Wenger insists he will not rush into discussing his future as he focuses on the team's performance.



Speaking at Thursday morning's press conference ahead of the Premier League game with Southampton, the 62-year-old said: "I have two years to go. What is important for me is Southampton and I think I have shown my commitment to this club in the past.



"At the moment I am not in the mood to think about the long-term future. We want to do well this season, that's all."



He continued: "I am an Arsenal man. I think I have always shown that. I have to consider if I do well or not.



"If I don't do well, I have to consider my future.



"I have been at the club long enough to have confidence in the people I work with, but I will assess my own performances and then make a decision, at the moment we are not there.



"Two years is a long time in my job. I just want to do well for the club as long as I can and accept all the rest.



"I have to consider that at my age, you always have to assess if you have the fitness, the desire, the commitment that this job demands.



"Then of course you have to make your decisions. I hope I will be lucid enough and intelligent enough to assess my performance well."



Arsenal will resume their Premier League campaign looking to kick on from a 2-0 win at Liverpool - their third match unbeaten.



Midfielder Abou Diaby is rated as 50/50 after picking up a minor knee problem while on international duty with France, and may be rested ahead of next week's Champions League opener in Montpellier.



Wenger said: "Diaby is in a position where we can certainly play him. We just have to assess the risk to play him or not. That will be done tomorrow.



"We won't take a gamble on him, especially because of his history."



Goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny is fit again following a rib injury, but winger Theo Walcott will be assessed after missing England's game against Ukraine with a virus.



Gazidas earlier said in the Daily Mirror: "It's not a sense of sentimentalism, not a reward for our services, it's a belief that we have an incredible manager who loves this club and is the best man to lead us forward.



"We're really confident about the direction that the club is heading. We're coming through strongly and we believe we're really well placed. We hope and believe that Arsene will be a part of that as we move forward."



Gazidis says when Wenger does eventually call time on management, he wants to make sure his successor retains the same values instilled at the club by the Frenchman.



He added: "At the same time, as a club, we have to make sure that all of the things that Arsene has brought to the club are enshrined in our DNA to make sure that when the day comes when Arsene decides it's time to hang up his boots - I don't know what the expression is as a manager - that we are in a position to take his ideas and work forward.



"The values that Arsene has brought to the club together with the values the club had before Arsene are what will inform us - and I don't want to give any indication that this is happening - and give us the framework as to who might take over from him in the longer term."



The frustration of Arsenal fans has mounted during recent trophyless seasons but Gazidis insists winning silverware, as well as finishing in the Premier League top four, remain primary targets - even without key players such as Robin van Persie, who departed for Manchester United in the summer.



He said: "We get accused of a lack of ambition or complacency because, apparently, the board are only interested in the top four - that is absolute rubbish.



"We're trying to win. In fact, we try to do more than that, we try to win with style - we have a certain way of playing football that we take pride in. So again, it's a high ambition.



"I know we haven't achieved that in recent years. There's no-one at this football club that doesn't feel the pain of not being able to do that in recent years but absolutely that's what we're trying to do and we want to do it on a sustainable basis going forward.



"We're very optimistic about this season, even through the loss of a player as important as Robin van Persie.



"We went through some major challenges last season and yet still came near the top of the game. But it's not what we're aiming to do. We're absolutely trying to win silverware and we're trying desperately hard to do it this year."



Wenger has earned plaudits for achieving success while adhering to the club's financial vision and Gazidis added: "We have a wage structure which we think works for us.



"It's not fixed in stone - we adapt it over time, there are no absolute hard and fast rules.



"We look at situations not just individually but in the context of the whole, in the context of what we are trying to do.



"We are adaptive and, in the end, our performance against our spend is judged on the pitch every year and I think we have got an excellent record."

Wenger not worried about Diaby

Arsene Wenger has played down the seriousness over Abou Diaby's latest injury, claiming the midfielder could even be fit for Arsenal's Barclays Premier League game against Southampton this weekend.



Diaby, who spent almost the whole of last season on the sidelines, hurt his hip after scoring the winner in France's 1-0 victory in Finland on Friday.



The 26-year-old missed his country's win over Belarus on Tuesday as a result, but Gunners boss Wenger told TF1: "He has slight pain on the hip, on the sartorius muscle. It doesn't seem serious at all to me. He even has a small chance to play on Saturday."



Diaby has begun the season in fine form and reports in France suggest he will miss Arsenal's game on Saturday game but return in time for Tuesday's opening Champions League clash against Montpellier.

Walcott set to stay at Arsenal

Theo Walcott looks set to stay at Arsenal after holding showdown talks with Arsene Wenger at the club's training ground.



It is understood Walcott did not back down over his contract demands but gave assurances he definitely wanted to stay with the Gunners in the long-term.



Arsenal had been braced for the prospect of selling Walcott before the transfer window closes on Friday but they are now happy to continue negotiations beyond then and effectively risk losing him for nothing next summer.



That is a scenario the club have not been prepared to tolerate in the past, having decided to sell a host of big name players in recent years as they have entered the final year of their contract.



The difference with Walcott is that there is genuine hope an agreement can be reached, although how Arsenal and manager Wenger would react to a big-money bid in the next 48 hours remains to be seen.



Walcott, who has been valued between £12million and £15million, has already been linked with Liverpool this summer.



Reports suggest Barclays Premier League champions Manchester City are also interested in adding the England star to their ever-increasing arsenal of former Gunners after seeing a bid for Swansea's Scott Sinclair rejected.



It is understood Arsenal offered Walcott a contract worth around £75,000-a-week, reportedly for the next five years.



But the player himself is after a better deal - nearer £100,000-a-week according to reports, while he is also seeking assurances about his position in the team.



Losing Walcott would be viewed by many as another huge blow to Arsenal, who sold captain Robin van Persie to Manchester United earlier this month.



Alex Song quickly followed by joining Barcelona, who signed Cesc Fabregas from the Gunners last summer, which also saw Gael Clichy and Samir Nasri move to City.



Walcott was one of Van Persie's main providers last season as the Dutchman notched 37 goals, with Walcott himself scoring 11.



He has often been criticised for a lack of consistency at both club and international level and Arsenal team-mate Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was preferred by England manager Roy Hodgson at this summer's European Championship.



Walcott, who joined the Gunners from Southampton as a 16-year-old in 2006, started their home game with Sunderland on the opening day of the season but was left on the bench for Sunday's match at Stoke, eventually coming on after 72 minutes in what was their second straight goalless draw.



A lack of goals has seen Wenger's summer signings come under scrutiny but one of them, Olivier Giroud, has denied he is feeling the pressure of helping fill the shoes of Van Persie.



"I'm not the kind of person to put negative pressure on my shoulders," the France striker told Arsenal Player.



"It's true that Robin had a very, very good season last year but I'm not here to make everyone forget about him or to replace him.



"I only want to take my place, gradually make my mark and win over the hearts of the fans.



"In our way, we are two different players. He spent eight years here and had a very good season last year.



"I need a little adjustment time but I hope to make my mark as quickly as possible. And I hope to score a lot of goals."



Giroud, who signed for Arsenal after a prolific campaign with Montpellier, claimed playing in front of fellow new boy Santi Cazorla would help him adapt.



"It's the same gameplan that we had at Montpellier and the same plan I played with in the French national team, with a number 10 like Cazorla behind me," he said.



"It's the same tactical plan I am used to so I am not lost, I know how to play in relation to my partners and it's just a little adjustment that is needed to make things automatic on the pitch."