Wenger signs new three-year deal with Arsenal

Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger has signed a three-year extension to his contract, the Premier League club confirmed yesterday, ending months of speculation about his future.

The Frenchman's current deal was due to expire at the end of the season and fans feared the 57-year-old could leave the club.

However, yesterday's announcement means the club's most successful manager in terms of trophies won can now set about building a team to challenge Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool for domestic honours.

"My heart is tied to this football club so signing a new deal was always my intention," Wenger, who will become the club's longest serving manager, said on Arsenal's website (www.arsenal.com).

"Arsenal is the club of my life." Wenger said he had been given complete freedom to implement and execute his plans to make the team successful. He acknowledged that he had a responsibility to Arsenal fans to deliver trophies.

"This club has deep-seated roots and a tremendous heritage and it is my aim to uphold these important values and help create new history for future generations to recount."

Arsenal chairman Peter Hill-Wood said it was "wonderful news for Arsenal" that Wenger had extended his contract and that he was looking forward to more success at the club.

"Arsene has a special ability to develop talented players and turn them into world class stars, a quality that is admired here at the club and indeed around the world," he said.