Arsene Wenger has acknowledged that his future as Arsenal manager hinges on the new season’s results, but stressed that he planned to keep working no matter what.
Wenger has just one year left on his contract and, as he enters his 21st season as Arsenal boss, faces pressure to deliver a major title. The Frenchman — who has said he will not make a decision about his future until next summer — told BBC Radio 5 Live on Wednesday that “what I will do after will depend a little bit on how the season goes.”
Wenger, speaking at the Premier League launch day in London, also told Sky Sports that he realised his tenure might be coming to an end. “You never know. You have to do it as if it is your whole life, but you know as well that you can stop at any moment,” he said. Discussing links to the England job following the departure of Roy Hodgson after a dismal Euro 2016 campaign, Wenger said: “I think I have shown that I respect my contracts and I respect loyalty highly. I did always that with Arsenal.”
But the manager, who recently said he was “scared” of retirement, added that he had no plans to walk away from football if he did not get a new deal with the Gunners. “What I will do is continue to work as long as I have the physical potential to work, no matter in what kind of position,” he said. “I will always work.”
Although Wenger’s future is likely to remain a topic of discussion throughout the season, Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere said it would remain business as usual. “I have not seen anything different in him,” the England international told Sky Sports. “I see the same hunger, if not even more. “For me, he has been great over the years and he continues to be. I think he shows that with his hunger every year. He just keeps going each year.
“I think he really feels like he can win and do something special with this team.”
