Arsene Wenger is looking forward to a summer without transfer upheaval and stressed that starting pre-season preparations with a stable squad will be hugely beneficial ahead of next term.

As has been well-documented Arsenal’s off-seasons have been pockmarked with big name departures in recent years but the boss has underlined that all players he wants to stay will do exactly that this time around.

“It’s a really wonderful feeling knowing everyone I want to stay will stay,” Wenger is quoted as saying by the Daily Star.

“It’s important because for several summers it has been a difficult time.

“It started with Cesc Fabregas, last year it was Robin van Persie and we cannot forget Samir Nasri either.

“We have started going to pre-season camps with a player being half in and half out. It’s not the best way to prepare.

Flush with funds and tipped to be a big player in the transfer market, the boss did admit that he has ambitions to strengthen the squad before again putting into perspective the importance of squad harmony.

“We can talk about new signings and I hope we achieve that but this stability is more important than any new player who comes in.

“This team has that stability. It has shown mental strength when things went wrong. The players have filled me with pride.”

One player who does have a question mark over his future is Bacary Sagna. With only one-year left on his contract and both PSG and Monaco said to be monitoring his situation the Frenchman looks on paper to be the most high profile potential departure.

While a replacement would likely be high on Wenger’s shopping list, current back-up Carl Jenkinson has already set about staking his claim for a right-back starting berth.

“Next season is a big one for me and I want to grab it with both hands,” Jenkinson told the Daily Star.

“I want to be the first-choice right-back at this club and I am not going to stop working until I get there.

“It’s what I want to achieve and after that I want to stay in the position for years to come. I’ve got to work my socks off and keep developing if I want to do it.”

Best of luck to him, you can’t fault that kind of attitude. You certainly wouldn’t bet against Jenks coming good given the leaps and bounds he’s come on in the last 12 months.