Premiership: Gunners plan lucrative Vieira deal

Arsenal will offer Patrick Vieira a new contract to rival the biggest in the club’s history this summer in an attempt to fend off interest from Real Madrid and persuade him to stay at Highbury.

However, with Real able to offer far more than Arsenal ever could - even with lucrative bonuses on top of their wage cap - Wenger believes it will not be money that sways Vieira’s mind, but ambition and loyalty.

Indeed, amid confidence Thierry Henry and Robert Pires can also be persuaded to sign new deals and with a new stadium in the pipeline, Wenger has stressed the Gunners’ determination to be seen as ‘‘the best club in the world’’.

Vieira has just over two years left on his existing deal but, under the Bosman ruling, it is now in the interests of clubs to start negotiations.

After all, as Manchester United are finding with David Beckham, negotiations can take some time to complete and no club wants to risk a player of that potential value entering the final year of their contract.

Arsenal will also want to make sure Vieira positively commits himself to a new, improved deal to prevent yet another summer of transfer rumour.

After all, Real have already signalled their interest in a possible summer swoop, with one report even claiming Vieira has signed a pre-contract deal after being seen in the Spanish capital last month.

Wenger has steadfastly denied the midfielder will be leaving, maintaining that not even a world-record bid of £50m would persuade Arsenal to sell.

He revealed: ‘‘At the end of the season, Patrick has two years left to go and he will, of course, be offered a new contract.

‘‘We will keep our wage scale right and do what we can do. He will naturally be among our top employees but the rest we want to keep secret.

‘‘I believe it will be enough, but the difference will not be made by money. That will be down to how much he wants to be part of the club and part of our ambition. I think he wants to stay.’’

Arsenal may tie in loyalty bonuses to any new deal, as they are believed to have done with Sol Campbell, who is likely to be their biggest earner on more than £50,000 a week after joining on a Bosman free transfer.

Henry and Pires are also set to be offered lucrative new deals and gaining their signatures would prove a major coup in persuading their compatriot Vieira to stay.

‘‘That’s what we want to create among our players - the wish to be part of the club and to win. If they feel right in the club then they will want to stay,’’ added Wenger.

‘‘The message we want to give them is that we want to win everything and be the best club in the world. We want them to be proud to be here, not just to treat it as a station on the road to another club.’’

Wenger, meanwhile, believes another France international, Youri Djorkaeff, can provide the goals in his loan spell at Bolton to keep the relegation-threatened club in the Barclaycard Premiership.

He said: ‘‘Of course, it would be easier for him to play at Manchester United as they dominate more and have more of the ball. Djorkaeff can give a killing pass and finish a game off.

‘‘He’s been abroad for a long time, at AC Milan and Kaiserslautern before Bolton. He’s used to top-level teams but I think he’s made that choice as he wants to play at the World Cup.

‘‘But I believe he can keep Bolton up as he can get them the goals they need. He’s a killer.’’