The Frenchman signed a two-year extension in the summer to extend his 21-year reign at the club.

But, speaking on Thursday at the club’s annual general meeting, he suggested that talks would take place when this campaign concludes – something he confirmed in a news conference.

“I want to see what the board thinks of my performance,” Wenger said.

“After that we decide where we go from there. My desire has always been to respect my contracts, but that is what I meant.”

‘I will always love this club’

Last season, the Gunners finished fifth in the Premier League, failing to qualify for the Champions League. It was the first time they have finished outside the top four since Wenger joined in 1996.

At the end of a campaign that saw Wenger face fierce protests from fans calling for him to leave, Arsenal finished 18 points behind champions Chelsea, but beat the Blues 2-1 to win the FA Cup.

On Thursday, Wenger told shareholders that the current side has “something special” and he believes there is “a chance” of success this term.

“My hunger, my commitment is bigger than ever,” he said. “I question myself a lot, don’t worry, I will sit down every year to see where I go.

“The present for me is about style of play, winning trophies, winning every game. Don’t think I don’t know. It’s essential.

“No matter what happens one day I will always love this club forever and be an eternal fan.”

‘I dedicate my life to make you happy’

The Arsenal Supporters’ Trust had issued a letter on the eve of the meeting urging small shareholders to vote against the re-elections of chairman Sir Chips Keswick and Josh Kroenke – the son of owner Stan – to the Arsenal board.

At least 200 small shareholders, many left standing when not enough chairs were provided, arrived at Emirates Stadium to hear from Keswick, chief executive Ivan Gazidis and Wenger.

A vote was held, but with 97% of the proxy votes, held by majority shareholders Stan Kroenke and Alisher Usmanov, in favour of both re-appointments, the rebellion was quickly quashed.

Commenting on the voting, Wenger said: “I dedicate 99% of my lifetime trying to make you happy. Looking at today, that is not easy.”

But he added: “My determination is as strong as ever.”

Later shareholders booed and slow-clapped the club’s board, and both Wenger and Gazidis were heckled.

‘Gazidis pay is comparable to other clubs’

Earlier, Keswick defended a £2.6m pay-out to Gazidis after shareholders questioned why his payment remained the same despite a poor season on the pitch.

“Ivan is doing a fantastic and first-class job leading the development of this club across every aspect of its operations,” the 77-year-old said.

Gazidis answered a series of questions about Arsenal’s on-field performance, claiming that “according to objective metrics – points versus transfer expenditure – no club has over-performed as much as Arsenal”.

Regarding their transfer business he said: “We deal with a massive amount of mis-information, there are many agendas at play. We want to compete at the top of the most competitive league in the world.

“To win the Premier League we need to do things better than our competitors in every area – without putting our club into financial difficulties.

“Arsenal, of the big clubs, have been the most over-performing club over time.”

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Source: BBC

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Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote told Bloomberg in an interview that he is planning to make an offer to majority owner Stan Kroenke once the construction of a new oil refinery in Lagos, Nigeria, is completed.

“The first thing I would change is the coach,” Dangote was quoted as saying. “He has done a good job, but someone else should also try his luck.”

Wenger was handed a new two-year contract as manager at the end of last season despite a turbulent campaign that saw Arsenal finish fifth in the Premier League.

While a growing number of fans turned against Wenger, Kroenke remained steadfast in his backing and extended his 21-year reign after the club won the FA Cup in May.

Kroenke also rejected a takeover bid from minority shareholder Alisher Usmanov in May and has said the club is not for sale, though that has not deterred Dangote, who has spoken of wanting to purchase Arsenal in the past.

“If they get the right offer, I’m sure they would walk away,” he said. “Someone will give them an offer that will make them seriously consider walking away. And when we finish the refinery, I think we will be in a position to do that.”

According to Forbes, Dangote has a net worth of nearly $13 billion — considerably more than Kroenke’s $7.5bn.

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Source: ESPN FC

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Wenger and club owner Stan Kroenke met on Monday to determine the Frenchman’s future, with the decision relayed to directors at a Tuesday board meeting.

Arsenal are planning to make an official announcement on Wednesday.

The Gunners were fifth in the Premier League this season, the first time they have finished outside the top four since the Frenchman joined in 1996.

They finished 18 points behind champions Chelsea, but beat the Blues 2-1 to win the FA Cup at Wembley on Saturday.

Wenger’s contract was set to finish at the end of the current campaign.

Feast and then famine

Wenger led the Gunners to three Premier League titles and four FA Cups in his first nine seasons in charge.

In 2003-04, he became the first manager since 1888-89 to lead a team through an entire top-flight season unbeaten.

But after winning the 2005 FA Cup, they had to wait another nine years – or 3,283 days – for their next silverware. It came as they beat Hull City to win the 2014 FA Cup, before winning the trophy again the following year.

Some Gunners fans turned on the 67-year-old Frenchman as a result of their league performances and they lost 10-2 on aggregate to Bayern Munich in the Champions League last 16 in March.

They finished the league season with five successive victories, but it was not enough to carry them above Liverpool to take the fourth and final Champions League spot.

Wenger told BBC’s Football Focus on Saturday the criticism he has faced this season is “a disgrace” he will “never forget”.

Anti-Wenger banners were held aloft by Gunners fans in the closing stages of a 3-1 defeat at West Brom on 18 March, while in the first half two planes towed banners over the ground – one criticising the manager and the other supporting him.

After that loss, Wenger said he had made a decision on his future which he would announce “very soon”.

He faced significant criticism around that time, with former Blackburn and Celtic striker Chris Sutton telling BBC Radio 5 live on 20 March that Wenger was “an uncle who doesn’t want to leave the party” and was running a “dictatorship”.

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte, meanwhile, described Wenger as “one of the best managers in history”.

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Source: BBC

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The 67-year-old also became the FA Cup’s most successful manager as he claimed a seventh winners’ medal.

The 2-1 victory over London rivals and newly-crowned Premier League champions Chelsea came courtesy of a controversial Alexis Sanchez opener on five minutes, with Aaron Ramsey then heading Arsenal back ahead three minutes after Diego Costa’s deflected equaliser.

Sanchez appeared to handle the ball in the build-up to his strike, which was provisionally ruled offside until referee Anthony Taylor over-ruled his assistant.

Chelsea got themselves back into the contest as Costa struck despite the fact Victor Moses had been sent off having been shown a second yellow card following a dive inside the Arsenal box.

After finishing fifth, Wenger and Arsenal missed out on Champions League football for the first time in 19 years.

That came on the back of a 10-2 aggregate defeat to Bayern Munich in this season’s competition, with some sections of supporters calling on Wenger to leave this summer, rather than sign fresh terms when his current contract expires next month.

The Frenchman has yet to announce publicly whether he will be manager at the Emirates Stadium next season but did admit his future would become clear following a pre-arranged meeting.

“We have a board meeting on Tuesday, and on Wednesday or Thursday it will all be very clear,” he said.

Asked if delivering the FA Cup would be a perfect way to say goodbye having been at the club nearly 21 years, Wenger replied: “There is no perfect way.

“I just want to do well for this club and apart from that after that it is down to the board members am I the right man to take this club further and for me to decide if I’m the right man, that is it.

“It is not about popularity, it is about confidence. It would be a bit ridiculous that 20 years depends on one games and the future of the club depends on one games, we will see more next week.”

Ahead of the final, Wenger revealed he has never kept a winners’ medal in his managerial career.

But will be holding on to this one having moved clear as the most successful boss in the storied history of the FA Cup, eclipsing George Ramsay’s six wins with Aston Villa between 1887 and 1920.

“For once I have kept my medal so that means it is a special night for me,” he said.

“I’m very proud, if nobody has done it since 18-god knows-when it means it is not easy.

“I’m especially proud of the way we won this season, in the semi-final we had to play against Man City here and in the final Chelsea here, you cannot get tougher and we had two outstanding performances, this cup was won with special spirit and special attitude.”

Wenger was once again critical of those Arsenal fans who have demonstrating against him during matches this season.

Planes carrying anti-Wenger slogans, boycotts of home games and signs and banners being displayed inside stadiums came during a blip for Arsenal which Wenger believes cost them dear.

“I’m in a public job, I accept to be criticised and people don’t agree with me,” he said.

“But once the game starts and you are a fan, you stand behind the team, that is what I have not accepted this season and I will never accept it.

“Outside of the game I never had any word with any journalist in 20 years when they criticised my decisions and it is the same with the fans.

“But when a game starts you support your team. We have played some games in a hostile environment and I never accept that.”

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Source: Talksport

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The Frenchman, 67, has faced fierce protests from fans calling for him to leave the club he has led since 1996.

“I don’t mind criticism because we are in a public job,” he told BBC Sport’s Football Focus before Saturday’s FA Cup final against Chelsea at Wembley.

“I believe there’s a difference between being criticised and being treated in a way that human beings don’t deserve.”

He added: “The lack of respect from some has been a disgrace and I will never accept that. I will never forget it.

“The behaviour of some people during the season, that is what hurts me most. It’s not my person that is hurt but the impeccable image of the club around the world. That kind of behaviour does not reflect what Arsenal is.

“A strong club is a club that makes a decision. It is wrong that in modern society it is not a question of whether a decision is right but whether it is popular. That has nothing to do with competence. People with responsibility have to make the right decision.”

Wenger will become the most successful manager in FA Cup history with a seventh title if his Arsenal side beat Chelsea in Saturday’s 17:30 BST kick-off.

But the Gunners missed out on Champions League qualification for the first time in 20 years by finishing fifth in the Premier League,

Wenger’s contract expires this summer, with his future set to be decided at a board meeting on Monday.

He has previously admitted that Arsenal’s season was affected by the uncertainty around his position, as well as the protests calling for him to leave.

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Source: BBC

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Frenchman Wenger, 67, has been Gunners boss since 1996 and his current deal expires in the summer.

Wenger said his future will be decided at a board meeting after Saturday’s FA Cup final against the Blues.

“I know very well Arsene Wenger has done well in the FA Cup and won many trophies,” said Conte.

Wenger has faced numerous protests by Arsenal’s own supporters this season, calling for him to quit as boss.

But he could end the season with a seventh FA Cup triumph – as many times as Liverpool have won the famous trophy.

Conte believes Wenger will still be Arsenal’s manager next season.

“I don’t think this will be the last game for Arsene, he deserves to be working for Arsenal,” added the Italian, who is seeking the Double in his first season at Stamford Bridge after steering the Blues to the Premier League title.

“He has done a fantastic job.

“Sometimes in England I think you undervalue the achievement of qualifying for the Champions League. Only this season they haven’t qualified for the Champions League.

“When you stay for a long time, for sure he is a good manager. We must consider him to be one of the best managers in history.”

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Source: BBC

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Citi FM’s Kessewa Akoto explores why there is a rule of thumb in the Ghanaian society about getting married at a certain age.

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