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Arsene Wenger

LONDON. — Arsene Wenger has ridiculed the notion of a director of football being appointed at Arsenal.

Borussia Dortmund’s Michael Zorc is the latest name to be linked with the post as Arsenal’s hierarchy look to make a summer shake-up at the Emirates.

But Wenger said: “No. I don’t know what director of football means. Is it somebody who stands in the road and directs play right and left? I don’t understand and I never did understand what it means.

“No, no, no. Sorry, no. I’m not prepared to talk about that. I’m the manager of Arsenal Football Club and as long as I’m manager of Arsenal Football Club, I will decide what happens on the technical front. That’s it.”

That could be a major issue for Wenger who is expected to sign a new two-year contract but chief executive Ivan Gazidis has been pushing for change in the backroom staff.

There is clearly an issue and Wenger admitted as he said he would like to keep fit-again Lucas Perez that he does not know whether he will be in charge. Perez has made noises about wanting to leave after becoming frustrated at a lack of first team opportunities.

Wenger said: “I would love to (keep him). If I’m the manager, I would love to keep him. We have to sit down together and see if he has a reasonable chance to play next season or not.

“Yes, (I understand his frustration) of course. He’s a top-quality striker and I couldn’t give him the games that he wants and that he deserves. I must confess that.

“I feel sorry for him on that front, but we have more strikers available now because we had the situation where Giroud was not clear at the start of the season, we didn’t know when Welbeck would come back, and in the end there was a congestion there. Don’t take anything away from his quality.”

Wenger’s future will also play out over the next few weeks as they are in the FA Cup final and must win their last four games starting at Southampton tonight to stand a chance of getting into the top four. — The Mirror