Arsene Wenger is confident Mikel Arteta, Theo Walcott and Tomas Rosicky will all extend their contracts at Arsenal before the end of the season.
SEE MORE:
Arsenal transfer news
Liverpool transfer gossip
(Image) Brilliantly inventive Arsenal fan modifies old Cesc Fabregas shirt
Walcott, 26, would be able to leave the club on a free at the end of next season and speculation has been rife over his future given a new deal has still yet to materialise.
Wenger recently claimed talks were ongoing before the England international denied they’d even begun.
However, according to the Independent talks will begin after this weekend’s FA Cup semi-final and Arsene Wenger says he is confident Walcott will remain at the Emirates.
“Yes I am confident because I believe that Theo has a great future,” said Arsene Wenger.
“He is just coming back from a very, very difficult injury. Every week he is getting better.
“Theo is very young and I believe he will have a great goalscoring record in the future because of the quality and intelligence of his game, and therefore I would like him to stay with our club.”
Meanwhile, the Arsenal boss also confirmed that squad veterans Mikel Arteta and Tomas Rosicky look close to agreeing new deals before the season’s close.
Arteta hasn’t played for the Gunners since November following a succession of injuries and relapses and his contract was set to expire at the end of the current campaign.
Tomas Rosicky meanwhile was also coming to the last of a two-year contract he signed in 2014 but will also now remain in north London.
Arsenal face Reading this weekend in the FA Cup semi-final a Wembley, with Wenger hoping for a smoother match than last years bout at this stage against Wigan that ended up going to penalties.
“We know that it (semi-final) is always tricky. We have learnt from Wigan last year,” he said.
“The urgency level will be quite high in our team.”
COMMENTS