So now we know for sure: Arsene Wenger is not about to chuck it all in. And, whatever happens, this decision is not going to be made easy for Arsenal chief executive Ivan Gazidis, the man responsible for delivering owner Stan Kroenke’s decision on Wenger’s future.
The manager intends to go on and on, as former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher once famously said. On Friday he was happily contemplating managing another four years, citing old rival Sir Alex Ferguson as a reference point.
Wenger had been asked whether the Ivy League lecture circuit appealed, one of the activities Sir Alex has embraced in retirement.