Arsenal chairman Peter Hill-Wood
has revealed the club are ready to offer Arsene Wenger a new
contract despite another season without
silverware.
The Gunners saw their UEFA Champions League dreams ended by
Manchester United in deadly fashion on Tuesday night as Sir Alex
Ferguson's side ran out 3-1 winners at Emirates Stadium to progress
4-1 on aggregate.
The manner of the defeat has raised questions over the future of
the current Arsenal side with striker Emmanuel Adebayor admitting
in the aftermath of the defeat that the team was at a
'crossroads'.
Wenger has another year to run on his contract and Hill-Wood
insists the Frenchman's future is not under scrutiny despite
finishing a fourth successive season without a trophy.
"Arsene's future is not in question, although I am sure there
will be people who have nothing better to do trying to suggest it
is," Hill-Wood told the Daily Star.
"He has another season left on his contract and if he was to ask
for an extension we would be delighted.
"But he hasn't discussed it with us and we haven't discussed it
with him. There are other things to think about."
Hill-Wood also insisted the club will back Wenger in the
transfer market this summer to improve the squad.
Wenger recently claimed financial restrictions had forced him to
rely on his young stars this season, but Hill-Wood is adamant the
Frenchman has not been denied substantial transfer funds.
Hill-Wood added: "That is not strictly correct. We have never
denied Arsene any transfer requests.
"We spent a lot of money on Andrey Arshavin at the beginning of
the year.
"And the money is there in the summer if he wants it. I'm not
going to say how much though,because that would not be helpful to
us."