• Gunners are confident over new deal for Bacary Sagna
Arsène Wenger is confident that Bacary Sagna will sign a new contract with Arsenal, but admits he is "frustrated" over the lack of progress in talks with Theo Walcott.
The France full-back Sagna, 29, had been reported to be dismayed by the terms of the 12-month extension on offer, with the player said to be seeking an improvement on his £60,000-a-week wages and a longer deal. Wenger, though, maintains those reports are wide of the mark as he looks to keep the defender on a new, long-term deal.
"I do not understand these speculations," the Arsenal manager said at Friday's press conference ahead of Saturday's Premier League game against West Bromwich Albion at the Emirates Stadium.
"He has one and a half years of his contract to go, and we are in negotiations with him to extend the contract which are very positive, so I am quite amazed by these statements because it is completely opposite of the feelings we have with the player, and with the negotiations we have about his extension."
However the situation with Walcott, who will miss Saturday's match because of a calf injury, remains unclear. The 23-year-old will be out of contract at the end of the season and there has been speculation that he will be sold in the January transfer window.
Wenger said: "With Theo, I have no news. I personally am not involved in that directly, indirectly of course yes, but at the moment we have not made any progress. Honestly, I am frustrated. Between the player and me it is all clear, he knows what he wants and he has to make up his mind.
"We have been in negotiations with Theo for a long, long time, and we have not been late in our renegotiations with him. We always try to extend the contracts very early."
Sagna faces a fitness test on his foot injury, but is doubtful for Saturday, while the Germany forward Lukas Podolski is out because of a hamstring problem.
Despite slumping to 10th in the Premier League table after last weekend's 2-0 home defeat by Swansea City, Arsenal have qualified for the knockout stages of the Champions League and Wenger said: "Let's not go overboard. We have 24 games to play, we are in all the competitions, what many clubs would love to [be].
"So it is down to us to make the season right and to turn the season around well on our side. I am confident we will and I believe we have the quality to do it."
The France full-back Sagna, 29, had been reported to be dismayed by the terms of the 12-month extension on offer, with the player said to be seeking an improvement on his £60,000-a-week wages and a longer deal. Wenger, though, maintains those reports are wide of the mark as he looks to keep the defender on a new, long-term deal.
"I do not understand these speculations," the Arsenal manager said at Friday's press conference ahead of Saturday's Premier League game against West Bromwich Albion at the Emirates Stadium.
"He has one and a half years of his contract to go, and we are in negotiations with him to extend the contract which are very positive, so I am quite amazed by these statements because it is completely opposite of the feelings we have with the player, and with the negotiations we have about his extension."
However the situation with Walcott, who will miss Saturday's match because of a calf injury, remains unclear. The 23-year-old will be out of contract at the end of the season and there has been speculation that he will be sold in the January transfer window.
Wenger said: "With Theo, I have no news. I personally am not involved in that directly, indirectly of course yes, but at the moment we have not made any progress. Honestly, I am frustrated. Between the player and me it is all clear, he knows what he wants and he has to make up his mind.
"We have been in negotiations with Theo for a long, long time, and we have not been late in our renegotiations with him. We always try to extend the contracts very early."
Sagna faces a fitness test on his foot injury, but is doubtful for Saturday, while the Germany forward Lukas Podolski is out because of a hamstring problem.
Despite slumping to 10th in the Premier League table after last weekend's 2-0 home defeat by Swansea City, Arsenal have qualified for the knockout stages of the Champions League and Wenger said: "Let's not go overboard. We have 24 games to play, we are in all the competitions, what many clubs would love to [be].
"So it is down to us to make the season right and to turn the season around well on our side. I am confident we will and I believe we have the quality to do it."
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