Ozil wants Wenger to stay at Arsenal for a 'long time to come'

Mesut Ozil insists it is "important" to ensure Arsene Wenger signs a new contract with Arsenal because the 64-year-old is able to push the players to their peak.

Wenger’s current deal expires at the end of the season but an agreement is already in place for a new two-year extension, though the Frenchman has put off the announcement in order to maintain his focus on his side’s title challenge.

Arsenal are currently a point clear at the top of the Premier League and Ozil believes Wenger is the key component in the club’s bid for silverware.

"Of course I want him to stay," Ozil told the Daily Mirror. 

"He’s the one who convinced me to come here, he’s a world-class manager and he can really
push the team to its top level and players can develop under him.

"It’s not just for me but the club in general and the fans it’s important that he will extend his contract and he will be the manager here for a long time to come."

Wenger hinted during his press conference on Friday that he had already decided to extend his stay at the Emirates Stadium.

"There is always a point where you have to decide [your future], of course," he said. 

"There is a point where you have to decide and there is a point where you have to make your decision public. You can take of that sentence the way you want it."