Arsene Wenger will stay at Arsenal and begin squad overhaul with Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez both set to leave - Arsene Wenger will tell his staff he will stay at the club in coming weeks
- Wenger has decided to remain at Emirates Stadium beyond his current contract
- There is leeway for Wenger to make a U-turn if Arsenal do not make top four
- The 67-year-old is already preparing for a busy summer with a number of stars — namely Ozil and Sanchez — understood to be heading for the exit
- The club are also on the lookout for a new left back and goalkeeper
Arsene Wenger's backroom team expect to be informed of his decision to stay during the international break as the Frenchman gears up for a ruthless summer overhaul.As Sportsmail revealed, Wenger — who is coming round to the idea of selling both Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil — has decided he wants to stay at the Emirates Stadium beyond the summer when his contract ends.
And the Frenchman's staff, who remain in the dark, have received indications that he will clarify his future within the next fortnight as uncertainty regarding his future has led to fears over jobs.Wenger's intention to stay will help allay those fears and ensure the club can focus on the end of the season. There remains leeway for Wenger to make a U-turn, particularly if Arsenal do not finish in the top four and fail to win the FA Cup. But as it stands, Wenger will make clear he wants to pen fresh terms with the club.
The 67-year-old is already preparing for a busy summer with a number of stars — namely Ozil and Sanchez — understood to be heading for the exit after both rejected new deals. There are doubts over the commitment of the pair and a growing sense that it may be best to sell.Both Ozil and Sanchez enter the final year of their current deals in the summer, meaning the pair could leave for nothing 12 months later.
The futures of Jack Wilshere, Kieran Gibbs, Lucas Perez and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain are also in doubt. As well as replacements for Ozil and Sanchez, the club are also on the lookout for a new left back and goalkeeper. Sportsmail understands Stoke's Jack Butland is the preferred goalkeeping target, while Sunderland's Jordan Pickford has also been scouted.
Left back targets include Celtic's Kieran Tierney and Monaco's Benjamin Mendy.
And to replace Sanchez, Celtic star Moussa Dembele and Dortmund's Marco Reus are options for the Gunners.
Meanwhile, former Arsenal favourite Bacary Sagna admits he is saddened by the lack of respect Arsene Wenger has been shown, but says he will not spare his mentor any sympathy in the next month.
Sagna was brought to England by Wenger in 2007 before leaving for Manchester City in 2014.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-4332992/Wenger-stay-Arsenal-begin-squad-overhaul.html#ixzz4bum9whjT
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