Arsene Wenger to stay as Arsenal manager after agreeing two year deal

Arsene Wenger is set to stay at Arsenal until 2019 after agreeing terms on a two-year contract.

The Gunners are today holding a board meeting at which the new deal was expected to be ratified following talks between Wenger, majority shareholder Stan Kroenke and chief executive Ivan Gazidis.

Arsenal will make a formal announcement over Wenger’s future tomorrow. The decision brings to an end months of speculation over the 67-year-old’s position, a situation which Wenger admitted has contributed to an “absolutely horrendous” environment that affected his team’s form.

Arsenal failed to secure Champions League football for the first time in his 21-year reign after finishing fifth in the Premier League, chiefly due to a disastrous spell between January 31 and April 10 when they lost seven out of 12 matches in all competitions.

Opposition to Wenger’s management grew among supporters with Gazidis labelling the period a “catalyst for change”, triggering the club’s informal search for a director of football.

However, Wenger opposed such a move and Standard Sport understands that he has been reassured in the past few days that any structural changes to the club will not compromise his authority in terms of team preparation or player recruitment.

Tension between Gazidis and Wenger grew during that difficult period but relations have improved as Arsenal won nine of their final 10 matches in all competitions, climaxing with a record-breaking 13th FA Cup win against Chelsea last weekend, their seventh under Wenger.

Wenger’s preference has always been to stay at the club but he entered a period of soul-searching in the wake of Arsenal’s 10-2 aggregate Champions League, last 16 defeat to Bayern Munich and has been unsure as to how the environment around the club would be affected were he to continue.

However, the team’s positive response in finishing the season strongly has been interpreted as evidence Wenger is still capable of motivating and managing his players successfully.