Arsene Wenger to offer six players new contracts

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger will offer six players new contracts this summer in a move to keep rival buyers at bay.Wenger wants the stability and security that the new deals would offer. According to The Telegraph, Samir Nasri, Andrei Arshavin, Gaël Clichy, Johan Djourou, Tomas Rosicky and Lukasz Fabianski are in line for new deals, as their current contracts expire in June 2012. Arsenal are engaged in securing their young players on long-term contracts with Wenger and chief executive Ivan Gazidis prioritising a stable wage structure over investment in transfers. Only Manuel Almunia is out of contract this summer. Nasri, Clichy and Djourou have been in positive talks and will be offered long-term contracts. Arshavin, 29, and Rosicky, 30, will be offered medium-term deals due to their age. Nasri’s father, Hamid, has been seen at Barcelona games and there have been suggestions that the Catalans want to sign him. Arsenal, however, are in dialogue with Nasri’s representatives and both sides are confident of completing a deal by the summer. Clubs in Russia have targeted Arshavin while both Real Madrid and Barcelona are interested in Clichy.