ARSENAL TO EXTEND WENGER'S CONTRACT

Arsenal chief executive Ivan Gazidis said Arsene Wenger will sign a new contract at an event to announce a lucrative new commercial deal with Puma.
Wenger’s current contract is due to expire at the end of the current season, but it was reported earlier this month that the Frenchman was ready to extend his 17-year reign at the club and he recently hinted that he had come to a decision.There has yet to be any official confirmation from the club over the manager’s decision, but Gazidis told the media on Monday: “We have always supported Arsene. The board has always been completely behind him as has [owner] Stan Kroenke, and Arsene has always been committed to this football club, so we are comfortable with the position, we are relaxed about it...“Arsene will be extending with us, and at the right time we will make that announcement.”The news came as Arsenal promoted a new long-term partnership with Puma, which will supply the Premier League club’s kit from July 2014.The official figures for the deal have not been made public, but reports suggest the agreement -- confirmed as “the biggest deal in Puma and Arsenal's history” -- will pay around 30 million pounds a season to replace Nike.Gazidis said: “We are excited to be partnering with Puma, a company whose football heritage and record of innovation have a strong affinity with our own. This represents another important step forward in Arsenal's progression on and off the pitch.”Puma's chief executive Bjoern Gulden added: “Arsenal have been a key strategic target for Puma for a number of years now.“Through a clear commercial vision, a well-defined sports marketing strategy and a relentless enthusiasm within the Puma organisation, we are proud to have signed this partnership with a truly global football club.“As we enter a new era in our company history, Arsenal represents a major commercial and marketing opportunity to reinforce Puma's credibility as a global sports brand, and we have full confidence the plans in place to activate this partnership will have a significant global impact.”