Wenger mulls over Seaman’s future

ARSENE WENGER will decide this week on David Seaman’s future as Arsenal’s first-choice keeper — a move which could see the veteran No 1 leave Highbury if the Gunners’ manager relegates him to a coaching role.

A week after being told his England career was over, Seaman captained

Arsenal to a successful defence of their FA Cup trophy against Southampton, a Robert Pires’ strike earned a gritty 1-0 victory.

The 39-year-old keeper showed he had lost none of his old prowess with a superb reaction save to prevent Brett Ormerod equalising late on, but question marks remain about his role next season.

Seaman is desperate to play on and said afterwards: “There’s life in the old dog yet”, while his old coach Bob Wilson suggested it was “highly likely” he would move to another

Premiership side for one more season rather than play second fiddle at Highbury.

Wenger is keen to keep Seaman at Highbury in some capacity but admitted he has not made up his mind about his role.

“I know approximately what I want to do but I will make a definite decision over the next week,” he said.

“It will be my decision, as it for every player. I want him to be on board, but for how long I don’t know.

“David Seaman always has remarkable strength and always wants to carry on. You respect that and he still has the quality to do it.

“There will be a transitional period where he will be still fighting for a place in the team and maybe goalkeeper coach. I have to think about it, at the moment it is not clear in my head.

“The end comes to all of us and of course it is a difficult period, but I think he’s still at the top and he doesn’t feel he has diminished in his quality.

“The only question is how long he can stay there. He’s still at the top of his game at the moment.”

Arsenal have been linked with Turkish international keeper Rustu Recber and Blackburn’s Brad Friedel but Wenger insists he has not made any approaches.

He said: “I have not contacted any other goalkeeper at the moment because we also have Stuart Taylor already, and Rami Shaaban is coming back. That’s a situation I have to sort out in the next two or three weeks.”

The victory in Cardiff provided relief and jubilation in equal measures for Arsenal. Wenger admitted that to have finished the season trophy-less would have been “unthinkable”, and the way his team had reacted after the disappointment of losing the league to Manchester United had persuaded him that not too many changes are needed for next season.

He added: “We have to score as many goals as we did. We scored 85 goals, that’s tremendous, but we conceded 42 and I think we could do with 10 less.

“That’s our target, improve the balance defensively without losing the offensive drive.”

Asked about how many new faces there would be next season, Wenger replied: “Between one and three. Maybe one, maybe two, maybe three, but not more than three players as I think the basis of the quality is still there but we want to improve in some areas.

“This group has a future and the way they wanted desperately to win this trophy under special circumstances shows me they have a future. I won’t change things that much.

“What I have learned from this final is a lot about the bonding and the character of the team. Many teams might have been disjointed after the disappointment of losing the league but you can see we have some boys we can rely on.

“We played without Vieira, without Campbell, and I think with everybody back then this group has a future.”

Three other players whose futures at Arsenal are uncertain did themselves no harm on Saturday. Dennis Bergkamp showed some typically ingenious touches while Martin Keown was uncompromising in defence.

Just like Seaman, Bergkamp, 34, has to consider whether to call an end to his impressive career as his contract runs out this summer. The striker must still reach agreement with the Arsenal board over the terms of any new deal, especially given reports he could be asked to take a pay cut.

Bergkamp said: “I’ve got a meeting with the club next week. We will probably take it one year at a time, that’s the safest option for both sides.

“The boss told me months ago that he wanted to carry on with me for another season. I want it as well so hopefully there won’t be any problems.

“Would I move to another club? I don’t think so. You want to play at a high level and I think I have that chance at Arsenal. There is not much higher than Arsenal and, if there is, they probably won’t buy me!”