Arsene Wenger evasive on Arsenal future and insists it is his 'last worry at the moment'

Wenger had previously said his position would be reviewed at the end of the season

Wenger's reign at Arsenal looks to be coming to an end (Getty)

Arsene Wenger said his future is his “last worry at the moment”, as the Arsenal manager was more evasive on his future than ever before.

Repeatedly quizzed on his situation in a press conference ahead of Thursday’s home match with Manchester City, the 68-year-old would only say that he “turned the whole world down to respect my contracts”.

Wenger’s current deal runs until the summer of 2019, but the EFL Cup final defeat on top of an underwhelming league campaign has led to greater speculation than ever before that this could be his last season. The Arsenal boss generally refused to discuss the issue.

“My position is my position,” Wenger said. “Honestly, that’s the last worry I have at the moment. My worry is to focus, to get the team ready for tomorrow’s game.”

Wenger had himself said at Arsenal’s October AGM that his position would be reviewed at the end of the season - “I want to see what the board thinks of my performance” - but has been unwilling to address those comments since.

“I just told you, I just gave you the answer of what my way of thinking is. It’s the next game. We are in that kind of situation where you want to focus on the next game. I don’t ask you if your position is reviewed at the end of the season… my job is to focus on performing and my job is to perform. It’s for other people to judge me, it isn’t for me to evaluate that.

“I just told you the answer. If you need clarity, I can repeat exactly the same answer. Exactly, that’s the clarity. Does it stop you to sleep that my position is uncertain or would not be certain, or is certain? No. What is interesting in football is the performances of football, the game you will see on Thursday night. That is what is important. All the rest may make headlines, but it is not really interesting.”

Asked whether his refusal to say anything would only increase speculation, Wenger said: “No, look, I am just amazed that I have to always answer things that are exactly the same. I am here for 21 years, I turned the whole world down to respect my contracts. So I am still amazed that I still have to answer these types of questions.”

It was put to Wenger whether the club’s plans for next season depend on qualifying for the Champions League. He was similarly evasive on that.

“I don't want to come out always on that, I have answered that already. Yes, I answered that question. Our target is to qualify for the top four, of course.”