Wilson predicts Wenger will stay
May 21, 2009 - 0:0
Arsene Wenger will not quit Arsenal this summer despite being linked with a move to Real Madrid, says ex-Gunners goalkeeper Bob Wilson.
The Frenchman has failed to win a trophy in four years at the Emirates Stadium, causing increased frustration among the club's supporters.And Wenger said this week that managing Real would be ""an interesting project"".
But Wilson told BBC Sport: ""Knowing Arsene as I do, I don't think he would ever walk out on a contract.""
Wenger has two more seasons to run on his Arsenal contract, and has always insisted in the past that he would never break that deal.
However, it is thought the 59-year-old has grown increasingly angry at what he perceives to be a lack of support from the fans.
At an open shareholders' question-and-answer session last week, Wenger's tactics, team selection and transfer policy were attacked by a section of supporters angry at the club's failure to win any silverware since their 2005 FA Cup triumph.
And Wenger appeared to aim a warning to those supporters off the back of that meeting when he refused to calm speculation linking him with a summer move to the Bernabeu, requesting instead that he be allowed to ""remain discreet on that matter"".
He has since clarified his position, telling the Daily Mail: ""I am staying here"", and Wilson says all indications are that Wenger will see out his contract.
""When you sign a player like (Andrey) Arshavin for that amount of money, when you get a player like Cesc Fabregas to agree to a seven-year contract, the player and their representatives are surely going to say along the way 'where do you feature in this boss?',"" added Wilson.
""Unless there was 90% or 80% or 60% or 70% of people against him, I don't think he would ever walk out on a contract because he was such an honorable guy.""
(Source: BBC)