How Many More Contracts Does Arsene Wenger Have in Him at Arsenal?

Arsene Wenger is enjoying an Indian summer with Arsenal. A little over a year ago, his contract was weeks from expiring and his trophyless run stood at close to nine years. In the intervening period, he has won two FA Cups and signed a new deal that runs until 2017.

When he signed that contract, it was widely assumed it would be his last in London. He had appeared to be under enormous pressure and looked more physically and mentally fragile than ever before. However, there has been quite the turnaround since then. With Wenger’s stock currently higher than it has been for almost a decade, fans are now wondering if this really is his last deal.

When Wenger put pen to paper back in May 2014, he stated his ambitions for the next three years, telling the club's official website:

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I want to stay and to continue to develop the team and the club. We are entering a very exciting period. We have a strong squad, financial stability and huge support around the world. We are all determined to bring more success to this club.

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In the months that followed the new deal, Wenger broke the habit of a decade (and Arsenal’s transfer record) to sign big-name stars in first Mesut Ozil and later Alexis Sanchez. Many perceived this as a final throw of the dice from a manager who knew his time was running out.

However, it seems Wenger may be getting a taste for these lavish new ways. Having put up with enforced parsimony after the move to the Emirates Stadium, he seems to be enjoying spending the money that was out of reach for so long. This summer, he has already made Petr Cech the most expensive goalkeeper of his tenure. There may yet be more additions to come.

Wenger has waited so long for access to the resources to build a truly competitive team. He’ll surely be reluctant to hand that privilege over to someone else without first having a proper crack himself. He’s behaving like a man in a hurry, but even so, he must be conscious it may take more than the two remaining years of his deal to turn Arsenal back into title-winners.

Could the Frenchman stay on? At the end of this existing Arsenal contract, Wenger will be 67. There is precedent for coaches extending their careers beyond that age. Back in 2010, Ivor Powell retired from his coaching role with the University of Bath—a team he once helped lead to the first round of the FA Cup—at the ripe old age of 93.

However, at Premier League level, the strain is somewhat greater. Nevertheless, both Sir Alex Ferguson and Sir Bobby Robson stayed in the dugout until the age of 71. Perhaps that is the unofficial retirement age for top-flight managers.

Wenger has never expressed a particular desire to leave the game that continues to obsess him behind. Talking to Sky Sports about Ferguson’s retirement, he essentially admitted that he doesn’t have the same desire to pursue interests outside of the sport where he made his name:

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Sometimes I think, 'What is [Sir Alex Ferguson] doing all day.' But he looks very happy in his retirement.

He is lucky because he is interested in horses as well. When he gets up in the morning, he can go to horses, practise or training.

I love horses as well but I don't go to races. I like horses in general because I am a farmer.

I rode them when I was a kid but now? No, my back could not take any riding.

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Wenger has long insisted the only places he knows in any depth in London and the home counties are his team's training ground and the Emirates Stadium. His flippant comment alludes to the reality of his football fixation; his fascination with the sport is all-consuming, and he presumably finds it impossible to envisage a life without it.

Alastair Grant/Associated Press

Should he wish to stay, it’s highly likely the Arsenal board will support him. Although not officially a board member himself, Wenger acts with the authority of an executive director. The club is in no hurry to replace the most successful manager in its history.

If he remains physically and mentally up to the task, it would make sense to keep him on. For a long time, it appeared as if Arsenal were stagnating under Wenger, but they’re now making progress again. After nine years without a trophy, the Frenchman has lifted two in the space of 12 months. Arsenal have moved into the top three and are making up ground on Manchester City and Chelsea. The manager seems reinvigorated and the effect is rippling through the club.

Paul Gilham/Getty Images

Wenger will be desperate to return to the summit of English football before calling it quits. His ego will crave the redemption of leading Arsenal back to the title—and after the anguish of 2006, he probably still feels he has unfinished business with the Champions League. A little while ago, such goals seemed hugely fanciful. Arsenal’s chances of success are now significantly more realistic. 

If Wenger and Arsenal’s momentum continues to grow until the summer of 2017, it would make little sense for manager and club to part ways. It seems that Wenger’s renaissance may be allowed to continue for a little while yet. Another three-year deal would take him to 70—a fitting age for the legendary manager to bow out.

James McNicholas is Bleacher Report's lead Arsenal correspondent and is following the club from a London base throughout 2015/16. Follow him on Twitter here.