Arsene Wenger Contract Dispute Resolved by Board
Recent reports surfaced via John Cross (Mirror) and Jeremy Wilson (Telegraph) that Arsenal’s Board are ready to finally end the Arsene Wenger contract saga. The Mirror and Telegraph are both claiming the board are moving forward with a re-structured two-year deal, with the announcement being a formality. The deal will be made official after the FA Cup final versus Chelsea, but everything seems to be in place.
The back and forth of the Wenger contract situation has gone on far too long—that we can all agree with. The lack of communication between the club, the manager, and the supporters has been a deafening silence that has come to a fever pitch.
With the fan base clearly divided—though tipping in favour of a more ‘Wenger out’ stance—the Board needed to say something much earlier than this. That they haven’t has been a tremendous source of frustration. The only solace is that fans can now start to prepare for life with Arsene Wenger still at the helm during the twilight of his career.
The other point is that it seems Wenger is a little more open to having involvement from others in the decision-making, though still falls short of supporting a Director of Football position. In his most recent press conference, when asked about involvement from others if he were to sign a new contract he said: “I am always open to things that improve the quality and future of the club”. If true, that would be a good thing in a bad situation. This role would be revealed as the summer progresses, and likely would not coincide with the official announcement of the new Wenger contract.
There is also the glimmer of hope this last month has given the club with a new formation with three at the back. If this is evidence of a change in the Frenchman’s tactical style into one that is more proactive, then certainly that, too, is a good thing.
That supporters, and very likely players, do not know the future of the club with any degree of certainty is infuriating. Despite a valiant late-season charge towards a final four finish, fans are frustrated.
I was 80 per cent sure that Wenger would stay. I’m now 99pc. Club fully committed to him and moving forward with him https://t.co/dUOiMTQgIL
— John Cross (@johncrossmirror) May 20, 2017
Arsene Wenger + Arsenal moving to agreement on structural changes and new contract. Finals talks after Cup final. Kroenke also not selling: https://t.co/nI1bXwdX3d
— Jeremy Wilson (@JWTelegraph) May 19, 2017
