Arsene Wenger remains confident that defender Bacary Sagna will remain with Arsenal beyond the end of the season, even though his contract expires in the summer meaning he is free to negotiate a move to another club.

Italian side Inter Milan have already made an approach for the France international – which is said by the Serie A club to have been rejected – while there is also interest coming from Manchester City.

The Gunners remain keen on keeping Sagna, who joined the club in 2007, but negotiations have been hampered by their refusal to offer the right-back the three-year deal he is seeking. Instead, Arsenal have offered a two-year contract with Wenger’s policy of offering short-term deals to players over the age of 30 standing prominently in the way of negotiations once again.

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Speaking about the situation regarding Sagna’s contract at a pre-match press conference, Wenger said: “There is an offer. He has not come back to us yet.

Shape Created with Sketch. Arsene Wenger signs new contract: His favourite Arsenal XI Show all 11 left Created with Sketch. right Created with Sketch. Shape Created with Sketch. Arsene Wenger signs new contract: His favourite Arsenal XI 1/11 David Seaman - 564 appearances Seaman is Arsenal’s all time appearance maker for a goalkeeper and second to only Ray Palour for the most Premier League appearances for the Gunners. Seaman won the Premier League title, FA Cup and Community Shield on three occasions apiece and was named seventh in the list of the 50 Gunners' Greatest Players of all time. Famous for his pony tail, Seaman was also named in the PFA Team of the Year for the 1996/97 season. Getty Images 2/11 Bacary Sagna - 284 The right back took the number three shirt from Ashley Cole after being signed for a fee in the region of 9 million Euros from Auxerre in 2007. He has been named in the PFA Team of the Year twice, for the 2007/08 and 2010/11 seasons. Getty Images 3/11 Kolo Toure - 326 The Ivorian could be considered to be Wenger greatest bargain signing, costing just £150,000 from ASEC Minosas in 2002 and then selling him for a huge profit to Manchester City for £14million. He was part of the 2003/04 Premier League winning team and also won the FA Cup and Community Shield twice during his Arsenal career. Getty Images 4/11 Martin Keown - 266 Keown won nine major titles and was a key figure at the heart of Arsenal’s defence for many seasons. As a non-compromisingly tough centre back, he was part of formidable partnerships with first Tony Adams and then Sol Campbell. His clash with Ruud van Nistelrooy after the Manchester United forward missed a penalty has gone down in Arsenal folk law. 5/11 Gael Clichy - 264 After joining from Cannes in 2003, the French left-back went on to win 3 major titles with Arsenal. He was also named in PFA Team of the Year for the 2007/08 season. Clichy was sold to Manchester City for £7million in 2011. Getty Images 6/11 Ray Parlour - 318 As a work horse of a player, Palour was a fan favourite throughout his Arsenal career. He won 9 major titles under Arsene Wenger and is the Gunners all-time leader in Premier League appearances. He will be forever fondly remembered for his 25 year strike against Chelsea during Arsenal 2-0 FA Cup final victory in 2002. Palour moved onto Middlesborough in 2004. Getty Images 7/11 Patrick Vieira - 402 The Frenchman joined Arsenal the same season as Wenger in 1996 in a £3.5million deal from AC Milan. One of the most influential and powerful midfielders Arsenal have ever had and true Premier League legend. He won 11 major titles during his Arsenal career and his last action as a player was to score the decisive penalty to win the 2005 FA Cup, Arsenal last trophy. He will be forever remembered for his goals and rivalry with Roy Keane. He left Arsenal for Juventus in 2005 for a deal worth £13.75million. Getty Images 8/11 Cesc Fabregas - 303 The Spanish international came through the ranks of Arsenal’s youth academy to become their captain and one of their most influential players in recent times. He won the FA Cup in 2005 and was named the PFA Young Player of the Year for the 2007/08 season. Arguably his best season at the club came in 2009/10 when he scored 15 league goals and was their best player. He left the Gunners for an Arsenal record for a received transfer after being sold to Barcelona for £35million in 2011. Getty Images 9/11 Freddie Ljungberg - 328 Famous for his quirky hairstyles, the Swedish winger was in eight trophy winning sides during his career with the north London club. He joined for a measly £3million from Swedish club Halmstads BK in 1998 and scored on a regular bias throughout his nine years being a key man in the Arsenal’s ‘Invincible’ season in 2003/04. He left for West Ham in 2007. Getty Images 10/11 Dennis Bergkamp - 376 Dutchmen Bergkamp is Arsenal’s third highest goal scorer under Wenger and immortalised with a statue of one of his famous goals outside of the Emirates stadium. He scored 107 goals under Wenger’s management and his touch and class has made him one of the Premier League all-time greats. The striker won ten major titles during his time and saw out his illustrious career with the Gunners. 11/11 Thierry Henry - 377 Having scored 228 goals during his Arsenal career, Henry will go down as one of Wenger’s and Arsenal’s greatest ever players. His explosive pace and devastating finishing helped to earn his club seven major titles during his time with the Gunners. He was named PFA Players' Player of the Year in consecutive seasons between 2002 and 2004 and has been forever remembered with a statue of his famous knee slide celebration outside the Emirates Stadium. Getty Images 1/11 David Seaman - 564 appearances Seaman is Arsenal’s all time appearance maker for a goalkeeper and second to only Ray Palour for the most Premier League appearances for the Gunners. Seaman won the Premier League title, FA Cup and Community Shield on three occasions apiece and was named seventh in the list of the 50 Gunners' Greatest Players of all time. Famous for his pony tail, Seaman was also named in the PFA Team of the Year for the 1996/97 season. Getty Images 2/11 Bacary Sagna - 284 The right back took the number three shirt from Ashley Cole after being signed for a fee in the region of 9 million Euros from Auxerre in 2007. He has been named in the PFA Team of the Year twice, for the 2007/08 and 2010/11 seasons. Getty Images 3/11 Kolo Toure - 326 The Ivorian could be considered to be Wenger greatest bargain signing, costing just £150,000 from ASEC Minosas in 2002 and then selling him for a huge profit to Manchester City for £14million. He was part of the 2003/04 Premier League winning team and also won the FA Cup and Community Shield twice during his Arsenal career. Getty Images 4/11 Martin Keown - 266 Keown won nine major titles and was a key figure at the heart of Arsenal’s defence for many seasons. As a non-compromisingly tough centre back, he was part of formidable partnerships with first Tony Adams and then Sol Campbell. His clash with Ruud van Nistelrooy after the Manchester United forward missed a penalty has gone down in Arsenal folk law. 5/11 Gael Clichy - 264 After joining from Cannes in 2003, the French left-back went on to win 3 major titles with Arsenal. He was also named in PFA Team of the Year for the 2007/08 season. Clichy was sold to Manchester City for £7million in 2011. Getty Images 6/11 Ray Parlour - 318 As a work horse of a player, Palour was a fan favourite throughout his Arsenal career. He won 9 major titles under Arsene Wenger and is the Gunners all-time leader in Premier League appearances. He will be forever fondly remembered for his 25 year strike against Chelsea during Arsenal 2-0 FA Cup final victory in 2002. Palour moved onto Middlesborough in 2004. Getty Images 7/11 Patrick Vieira - 402 The Frenchman joined Arsenal the same season as Wenger in 1996 in a £3.5million deal from AC Milan. One of the most influential and powerful midfielders Arsenal have ever had and true Premier League legend. He won 11 major titles during his Arsenal career and his last action as a player was to score the decisive penalty to win the 2005 FA Cup, Arsenal last trophy. He will be forever remembered for his goals and rivalry with Roy Keane. He left Arsenal for Juventus in 2005 for a deal worth £13.75million. Getty Images 8/11 Cesc Fabregas - 303 The Spanish international came through the ranks of Arsenal’s youth academy to become their captain and one of their most influential players in recent times. He won the FA Cup in 2005 and was named the PFA Young Player of the Year for the 2007/08 season. Arguably his best season at the club came in 2009/10 when he scored 15 league goals and was their best player. He left the Gunners for an Arsenal record for a received transfer after being sold to Barcelona for £35million in 2011. Getty Images 9/11 Freddie Ljungberg - 328 Famous for his quirky hairstyles, the Swedish winger was in eight trophy winning sides during his career with the north London club. He joined for a measly £3million from Swedish club Halmstads BK in 1998 and scored on a regular bias throughout his nine years being a key man in the Arsenal’s ‘Invincible’ season in 2003/04. He left for West Ham in 2007. Getty Images 10/11 Dennis Bergkamp - 376 Dutchmen Bergkamp is Arsenal’s third highest goal scorer under Wenger and immortalised with a statue of one of his famous goals outside of the Emirates stadium. He scored 107 goals under Wenger’s management and his touch and class has made him one of the Premier League all-time greats. The striker won ten major titles during his time and saw out his illustrious career with the Gunners. 11/11 Thierry Henry - 377 Having scored 228 goals during his Arsenal career, Henry will go down as one of Wenger’s and Arsenal’s greatest ever players. His explosive pace and devastating finishing helped to earn his club seven major titles during his time with the Gunners. He was named PFA Players' Player of the Year in consecutive seasons between 2002 and 2004 and has been forever remembered with a statue of his famous knee slide celebration outside the Emirates Stadium. Getty Images

“I'm confident Sagna will stay but we will accept his decision and go with it,” he added, with reported interest also coming from Liverpool and Tottenham – though the latter is believed to be a no-goer due to Sagna’s long spell with Spurs’ north London rivals.

Wenger also acknowledged reports that City have offered Sagna a three-year contract, with The Guardian reporting that the Frenchman could be the latest Gunner to head north and join the Etihad outfit. Arsenal supporters have been infuriated in recent seasons by the conveyor belt taking some of their biggest names to the city of Manchester, with Samir Nasri, Kolo Toure, Gael Clichy and Emmanuel Adebayor all leaving London for City, while former captain Robin van Persie also headed to Manchester to lead Manchester United to Premier League glory last season.

The 64-year-old Frenchman stated that any approach to Sagna from Premier League clubs would convene the ruling that player’s cannot negotiate a domestic move until the third Saturday in May, five weeks before a contract runs out in order to avoid any conflict of interests when a player could potentially play against the club he is about to join.

When questioned whether Sagna had been offered a three-year contract, Wenger said firmly: “That cannot be right because it’s illegal,” before grinning prominently.

He explained that while the desire to only offer over-30’s a one-year extension, the ruling does not necessarily apply to defenders.

“Not for the defenders, necessarily,” Wenger explained. “It depends. It’s a general law in our club, yes. But it’s not a stupid law. We look at individual cases and adapt to the individual.”

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