Chris Sutton has likened Arsene Wenger to “an uncle who doesn’t want to leave the party” after the Arsenal manager edged closer towards signing a new contract, despite his side dropping to sixth in the Premier League table.

Wenger has already publicly confirmed that he has made up his mind on the contract extension that Arsenal have offered him, with a two-year deal on the table since the start of the year to take his reign beyond the 21-year mark. But Wenger has stalled on agreeing the deal, and in that time Arsenal have dropped from second to sixth in the Premier League, as well as exit the Champions League in a humiliating 10-2 aggregate defeat by Bayern Munich.

Wenger said after the weekend’s 3-1 loss at West Bromwich Albion that he will reveal his decision “very soon”, but widespread reports have claimed that a new contract will be signed that will be longer than just the one year that was reported last week.

But former Chelsea striker Sutton launched a scathing assessment of Wenger, likening him to a dictator and calling on his to recognise that his team is in decline.

"It's a dictatorship and he surrounds himself with yes men," Sutton said on BBC Radio 5 Live.

"He's been selfish. I'm surprised Steve Bould [Wenger's assistant] doesn't get hold of him and say this is the reality.

"He's taking the club backwards. They have just accepted mediocrity. His work in the transfer market has been a failure lately.

"Do the right thing and if you're not going to do the right thing then tell us."

Arsenal fans have been open in their desire to see Wenger leave the club (Getty)