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Arsene Wenger has insisted he has no intention leaving Arsenal this summer and will remain in charge at least until 2019.

Wenger’s future has come under renewed scrutiny with Carlo Ancelotti being linked as a potential successor and the club is going through a major restructure not least because star duo Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil have only got six months left on their contracts.

Gunners boss Wenger admitted Sanchez will be sold this month because he has refused to extend his deal but says they are more optimistic Ozil will re-sign and they are expecting Jack Wilshere to pen a new deal.

Wenger, 68, took some pinning down because he is anxious to avoid a repeat of last season when his future became a distraction and a weekly topic of discussion.

(Image: AFP) (Image: PA)

But Wenger eventually made it crystal clear that he is going nowhere. “I am always committed. I am here for 21 years,” said Wenger.

“So in every single decision I make what is right for the club. Do I stay for one year or ten years it is exactly the same.

“Is it is me in charge or somebody else you can only do what is best for club. That is what you try to do. That has nothing to do with my personal situation.”

So, will he definitely be in charge next season? Wenger added: “My contract clarifies that. Did I ever walk away? Never. Why should I change?”

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Wenger was equally - for a change - upfront about the futures of Sanchez, Ozil and Wilshere. Despite even claiming on Wednesday they want to keep Sanchez, Wenger has given up pretending but says they are in talks with Ozil.

Mirror Sport revealed last month talks are still ongoing with Ozil and, despite interest from Manchester United and Barcelona, Wenger believes they stand a chance of keeping him, having already made a contract offer worth £275,000-a-week.

Wenger said: “It looks like Sanchez will not extend his contract. But we want to keep Jack and if we have an opportunity maybe to keep Ozil, the rebuild will be less deep than if all the three left.

"There is still an opportunity for him (Ozil) to stay. Very much so. These guys want to win, and they want to make money as well. Incidentally he’s won trophies with us. So he wants to fight as well for the Premier League.”

(Image: Arsenal FC via Getty Images) (Image: Action Images via Reuters)

Make no mistake. There was a split in the boardroom last summer over whether Wenger should have been given a new deal but majority shareholder Stan Kroenke makes the final call and remains hugely supportive.

But the “catalyst for change” that Arsenal chief executive Ivan Gazidis spoke about last year is taking shape - even if Wenger has survived.

Privately, Wenger knows the landscape is changing and he is losing his power but there is no way that he will stand aside next summer. Him being forced out is another matter but if the coup failed last year there is no reason to think it will work next time.

Arsenal have brought in a new head of recruitment in Sven Mislintat, ex-Barcelona chief executive Raul Sanllehi is their new head of football relations while Huss Fahmy was recruited from Team Sky to oversee contract negotiations.

Wenger’s close allies, transfer fixer Dick Law - who is expected to stand aside when Sanllehi starts his duties on February 1 - and chief scout Steve Rowley are moving aside with a new backroom, scouting and recruitment team taking shape.

There is talk that other long serving members of staff have decided to go at the end of the season as they can see the writing on the wall.

But when Arsenal do change their manager it is likely to a younger man who comes in next, having seen the success of a new generation of coaches at other Premier League clubs.

However, the other part of the new world order at Arsenal is a new approach to contracts as Wenger insists that more clubs will allow players to see out their deals rather than fork out on expensive renewals and also look for more free transfers themselves.

(Image: Getty Images Europe) (Image: Laurence Griffiths)

Arsenal have a host of players - including Aaron Ramsey and Danny Welbeck - out of contract in 18 months’ time but there is not the same level of panic to get them tied down. We might see it as bad planning, Arsenal may view it as a conscious decision.

Wenger added: “Honestly I believe, with inflation we have at the moment, players going to the end of the contract will happen more and more. For one simple reason, is that the transfers are too high.

“And if a player doesn’t find a massive club, he will have to go [to the end], and even if you don’t want to extend his contract, the players will want to go to the end of their contract.

“In the big clubs you are in a choice. You reduce the number of players or increase the wages trying to fight with massive clubs as the difference in wages between the big, big clubs financially, I speak, and us has become big. Massive.”

Arsenal (probable): Cech; Chambers, Mustafi, Holding; Bellerin, Xhaka, Wilshere, Maitland-Niles; Iwobi, Ozil; Lacazette.