Arsene Wenger will stay, Sol Campbell


Sol Campbell believes Arsene Wenger will sign a new contract to stay at Arsenal beyond the summer.

Wenger has come under pressure from some sections of the Arsenal support following another faltering title bid, while they head into Tuesday's Champions League last-16 second leg clash at home to Bayern Munich 5-1 down from the first leg.

His contract is due to expire in the summer and he has remained tight-lipped over whether he will sign an extension, but Campbell, who won two Premier League titles and three FA Cups under the Frenchman, told Premier League Daily he thinks Wenger will eventually sign a new deal.

"I think he will assess it, he has two years on the table. I think eventually he will take it," he said.

"What he has done for the club, how he has steered the club from Highbury to the new ground, and also the training ground, obviously now there are other clubs with unbelievable training grounds but at the time he was visionary with his ideas about the training ground - he kind of co-designed that.

"While building the stadium the club had to get, out of eight years, at least five Champions League [qualifications], they got all eight times and beyond. The hierarchy will look at it and say 'at a difficult time, he was there; he ticked all the boxes and allowed us not to have to dip into our own pockets for the stadium and all the interest payments and whatever'.

"They have got to look at that, as a business, a CEO, he steered it, unbelievable. Now, there is the pressure from the fans, the pressure from the media but the only people who are going to make that decision are him and the board. At the moment the board are comfortable with him."

It is reported that some Arsenal fans will protest against Wenger ahead of their tie against Bayern at the Emirates on Tuesday night but Campbell believes the blame for the Gunners' current troubles does not just lie with the manager.

"He is the manager, a very experienced manager. The blame will be spread among everybody, no one is perfect. His record, trophy-wise, is fantastic in the first 10 years," Campbell said.

"Obviously past that it is not the best but the things he has done, the Champions League qualifying, that is no mean feat. Some teams have not qualified over the past 20 years but he has been a regular and the players, the manager, the staff - they are in it together. You win together and you lose together and that is what it is all about."

Campbell is also keen to see Arsenal hold on to Alexis Sanchez, who has been linked with a move away from the club with his contract set to expire at the end of next season.

There were reports that the Chilean was also involved in a training ground bust up with team-mates prior to being left on the bench for his side's 3-1 defeat to Liverpool at the weekend, although Wenger insisted on Monday that "nothing had happened".

Campbell added: "Arsene is a wonderful man and you've got to say to yourself, there must be something going on. You can't leave one of your best players on the bench and he is fit. We are not stupid - there is something going on. Or maybe he tried a double bluff or feels like 'I'm the boss'.

"I think it is all about learning how to live with this guy. He is passionate, he is top notch. When he came through the doors at Arsenal he was up and running straight away. You've got to respect that.

"There aren't too many players in the last five, six, seven years who have come through the doors at Arsenal and got going straight away. You can't afford to lose those characters. If he goes he will be picked up by the big clubs.

"It is looking that way [he will go] - I think Arsenal should keep him but there is a lot happening behind the scenes."

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