ARSENAL will give Arsene Wenger a 50 per cent pay rise to sign a new contract this week.
The Frenchman has been offered £75,000 a week — nearly £11million in a three-year deal — plus £30m for summer signings.
The Gunners are even ready to include a clause allowing Wenger to leave next year if he wants.
Emirates directors have been thrown into a panic by Thierry Henry’s £16m exit and revelations in Saturday’s SunSport.
Henry insisted he was leaving for Barcelona as Wenger could not assure him he would stay beyond next year.
The 57-year-old manager’s current £50,000-a-week contract expires next summer and he has so far resisted all the club’s efforts to extend his stay.
But now Wenger is ready to relent, as he knows the speculation is threatening to destabilise the entire club.
He has been offered a £3.5m-a-year package and given the OK for a major spending spree.
All the £21.5m raised from the sales of Henry, Fabrice Muamba and Jeremie Aliadiere will be in the pot, plus £8.5m more from the new TV deal.
Yet despite WengerÂ’s inclination to commit himself, he is still not convinced Arsenal have the ability to challenge for major honours.
That is why he wants a clause letting him go if they do not live up to his expectations next season.
Wenger broke his silence on Henry’s departure last night, saying: “He goes with my blessing. Thierry has been tremendous for us since he arrived and has become an Arsenal legend.”
used
arsenal getting desperate. first dein then henry and now wenger. but the money should be used to getting players in first.
sand king
i wish my boss would give me 5% pay raise!
glacer
Arsenal's board also has no choice, they have already lost Henry and they cannot afford to lose both Wenger and Fabregas so securing Wenger is the main thing they should do right now