Shareholders happy as Wenger stays in frontline for Gunners

ARSENAL shareholders will head into today’s annual general meeting at Highbury secure in the knowledge the future of their club is in safe hands.

The announcement of a £100 million sponsorship deal with Emirates Airlines to secure the naming rights on the new stadium at Ashburton Grove and an eight-year shirt sponsorship deal was, according to chairman Peter Hill-Wood, an offer too good to turn down.

However, it is the news that manager Arsene Wenger is close to committing his own future to the Premiership champions which will have been just as welcomed by Gunners fans.

With a few, as Wenger put it, “fine details between my lawyer and the club’s lawyers” still to iron out, it could be perhaps a little premature for an official announcement to be made on the completion of the negotiations tomorrow.

Indeed Arsenal managing director Keith Edelman had cautiously suggested: “You can certainly expect an announcement before the end of the year on Arsene’s future.”

Whenever Wenger finally puts pen to paper on what is expected to be a three-year extension to his contract, which still has around 12 months left to run, the Frenchman knows Arsenal’s power to compete in the transfer market will increase once they make the switch to the new 60,000-capacity Emirates Stadium for the start of the 2006-7 season.

While it may still not match that possessed by likes of Manchester United and Real Madrid, the increase in both marketing income and ticket revenue will be a marked difference from those generated at Highbury, Arsenal’s home since 1913, but one which the English champions have now outgrown.

Captain Patrick Vieira decided against a summer move to the Bernabeu and re-iterated his commitment to the Gunners.

Following yesterday’s double announcement, the likes of Robert Pires and Thierry Henry could also soon be looking to tie up their own long-term future.

Pires, currently away on international duty with France, believes Arsenal have made a positive move in aiming to extend Wenger‘s stay.

“This is very good news,” said Pires. “Arsene Wenger has done a fantastic job and is a tremendous manager.

“There are a lot of challenges still in front of him and the club - the new stadium and the Champions League are among them.”

Pires said: “This new contract is the best sign the club can show for their ambition.

“As long as Arsene Wenger is the boss, Arsenal will be a very ambitious club.”