Wenger set to offer new deal to Seaman

By Alistair Grant

Arsene Wenger yesterday dangled the carrot of a fresh contract in front of David Seaman and insisted: ‘‘You’re still England’s number one.’’

The Arsenal goalkeeper, out of contract at Highbury ahead of his 39th birthday on September 19, is agonising over whether or not to announce his international retirement.

However, Wenger is in no doubt of Seaman’s ability and will offer him a new deal inside the next 72 hours.

The manager’s faith in Seaman will buoy the keeper, who was distraught 12 days ago when he was caught out by Ronaldinho’s free-kick for the goal which sent England home from the World Cup.

National team coach Sven-Goran Eriksson has already emphasised the pony-tailed shot-stopper will remain his number one choice if he is a regular at Arsenal and now Wenger is poised to make the move which will allow Seaman to continue starring at Highbury.

‘‘I will try to call David this week. I think he had a good World Cup and needn’t feel ashamed of letting in that goal,” Wenger added

‘‘That shot would have beaten every goalkeeper in the tournament. It’s clear that the guy wanted to cross the ball.’’

Wenger is due back at Arsenal’s London Colney training ground, near St Albans, next week, to prepare for the double-winning Gunners’ pre-season tour to Austria.

Before then, the Frenchman will take time out from his holiday to squeeze in contract talks with Robert Pires near his holiday base.

The talented left-midfielder has spent the summer at a sports clinic in St Raphael, in the south of France, battling back to fitness after the cruciate knee ligament injury he sustained in March.

The 28-year-old is under contract until summer 2004, but will commit himself to Highbury for another 12 months.Freddie Ljungberg is facing an exploratory hip operation that will rule him out of the start of the season.

The Swedish international is to undergo surgery at the weekend to repair a small tear to the cartilage around his hip joint, and is expected to be sidelined for up to two months.

Ljungberg missed Sweden’s last two matches in the World Cup finals due to the injury.