Arsene Wenger Reportedly Tells Arsenal He Intends to Sign New 2-Year Contract

Arsene Wenger has told the Arsenal hierarchy that he would like to sign a new two-year contract at the club, extending his stay at the Emirates until at least 2019, per Sami Mokbel for the Mail.

The Gunners manager has come under pressure in recent months but now looks likely to remain at the club beyond the end of the current season. However, the Arsenal board will be making a "joint decision" with Wenger on his future, per Mokbel.

A run of six defeats from their last nine games in all competitions has intensified the dissenting voices around the Emirates, culminating in two separate planes flying over the Hawthorns during Arsenal's 3-1 defeat against West Bromwich Albion on Mar. 18. One was pro-Wenger and the other was against him, highlighting the fans' mixed feelings about their long-serving manager.

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But this does not seem to have deterred the Frenchman from hoping to extend his stay in north London. Following his admission after the West Brom match that a decision had been made and fans "will soon know" the answer, per the BBC, it was reported that Wenger "wants to stay on," per David Hytner for the Guardian.

This decision has now been passed on to the board, per Mokbel. Majority shareholder Stan Kroenke is "keen for him to stay" and talks have been ongoing all week, per John Cross for the Mirror, but Wenger is yet to finalise the deal with his signature.

The Gunners want Wenger to dramatically transform the club over the next 24 months, during which time the board will seek out a successor, per Cross.

Should he stay, Wenger has a huge rebuilding job on his hands. Defeat to Manchester City at the Emirates on Sunday would put a significant dent in the club's chances of qualifying for next year's Champions League, while Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil are both likely to leave, having rejected new contracts, per Metro.

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Arsenal are currently sixth in the Premier League table, six points behind fourth-placed Liverpool and with four of their remaining 11 league matches are against the current top seven.

Failure to finish in the top four for the first time since 1996 would see the Wenger era enter uncharted territory. Now almost certain to stay for another two years at the club, fans who have endured relative stagnancy over the past 11 seasons may be about to discover that things will get worse before they get better.