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Arsene Wenger has reportedly agreed a new contract that will see him remain manager of Arsenal until 2017.
The 64-year-old Frenchman will enter his 19th season in charge of the Gunners with an announcement of the deal expected to come from the club as early as Saturday, following the FA Cup success that ended the club’s nine-year barren spell for a trophy.
Wenger also guided the side to Champions League qualification, meaning they will take part in Europe’s elite competition for the 17th straight season under Wenger. Following Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement last summer, Wenger is now the most experienced manager in the English Football League by some margin – Exeter’s Paul Tisdale is a distant second having been in charge for six years.
Over his 18 years in charge, Wenger has seen a number of great players go in and out of the club, with names such as Tony Adams, Dennis Bergkamp and Thierry Henry work under the leadership of the man dubbed “The Professor”.
But who features in Wenger’s most selected XI? Click on the gallery below to find out.
Show all 11 1 /11Arsene Wenger signs new contract: His favourite Arsenal XI Arsene Wenger signs new contract: His favourite Arsenal XI David Seaman - 564 appearances Seaman is Arsenal’s all time appearance maker for a goalkeeper and second to only Ray Palour for the most Premier League appearances for the Gunners. Seaman won the Premier League title, FA Cup and Community Shield on three occasions apiece and was named seventh in the list of the 50 Gunners' Greatest Players of all time. Famous for his pony tail, Seaman was also named in the PFA Team of the Year for the 1996/97 season.
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Arsene Wenger signs new contract: His favourite Arsenal XI Bacary Sagna - 284 The right back took the number three shirt from Ashley Cole after being signed for a fee in the region of 9 million Euros from Auxerre in 2007. He has been named in the PFA Team of the Year twice, for the 2007/08 and 2010/11 seasons.
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Arsene Wenger signs new contract: His favourite Arsenal XI Kolo Toure - 326 The Ivorian could be considered to be Wenger greatest bargain signing, costing just £150,000 from ASEC Minosas in 2002 and then selling him for a huge profit to Manchester City for £14million. He was part of the 2003/04 Premier League winning team and also won the FA Cup and Community Shield twice during his Arsenal career.
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Arsene Wenger signs new contract: His favourite Arsenal XI Martin Keown - 266 Keown won nine major titles and was a key figure at the heart of Arsenal’s defence for many seasons. As a non-compromisingly tough centre back, he was part of formidable partnerships with first Tony Adams and then Sol Campbell. His clash with Ruud van Nistelrooy after the Manchester United forward missed a penalty has gone down in Arsenal folk law.
Arsene Wenger signs new contract: His favourite Arsenal XI Gael Clichy - 264 After joining from Cannes in 2003, the French left-back went on to win 3 major titles with Arsenal. He was also named in PFA Team of the Year for the 2007/08 season. Clichy was sold to Manchester City for £7million in 2011.
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Arsene Wenger signs new contract: His favourite Arsenal XI Ray Parlour - 318 As a work horse of a player, Palour was a fan favourite throughout his Arsenal career. He won 9 major titles under Arsene Wenger and is the Gunners all-time leader in Premier League appearances. He will be forever fondly remembered for his 25 year strike against Chelsea during Arsenal 2-0 FA Cup final victory in 2002. Palour moved onto Middlesborough in 2004.
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Arsene Wenger signs new contract: His favourite Arsenal XI Patrick Vieira - 402 The Frenchman joined Arsenal the same season as Wenger in 1996 in a £3.5million deal from AC Milan. One of the most influential and powerful midfielders Arsenal have ever had and true Premier League legend. He won 11 major titles during his Arsenal career and his last action as a player was to score the decisive penalty to win the 2005 FA Cup, Arsenal last trophy. He will be forever remembered for his goals and rivalry with Roy Keane. He left Arsenal for Juventus in 2005 for a deal worth £13.75million.
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Arsene Wenger signs new contract: His favourite Arsenal XI Cesc Fabregas - 303 The Spanish international came through the ranks of Arsenal’s youth academy to become their captain and one of their most influential players in recent times. He won the FA Cup in 2005 and was named the PFA Young Player of the Year for the 2007/08 season. Arguably his best season at the club came in 2009/10 when he scored 15 league goals and was their best player. He left the Gunners for an Arsenal record for a received transfer after being sold to Barcelona for £35million in 2011.
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Arsene Wenger signs new contract: His favourite Arsenal XI Freddie Ljungberg - 328 Famous for his quirky hairstyles, the Swedish winger was in eight trophy winning sides during his career with the north London club. He joined for a measly £3million from Swedish club Halmstads BK in 1998 and scored on a regular bias throughout his nine years being a key man in the Arsenal’s ‘Invincible’ season in 2003/04. He left for West Ham in 2007.
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Arsene Wenger signs new contract: His favourite Arsenal XI Dennis Bergkamp - 376 Dutchmen Bergkamp is Arsenal’s third highest goal scorer under Wenger and immortalised with a statue of one of his famous goals outside of the Emirates stadium. He scored 107 goals under Wenger’s management and his touch and class has made him one of the Premier League all-time greats. The striker won ten major titles during his time and saw out his illustrious career with the Gunners.
Arsene Wenger signs new contract: His favourite Arsenal XI Thierry Henry - 377 Having scored 228 goals during his Arsenal career, Henry will go down as one of Wenger’s and Arsenal’s greatest ever players. His explosive pace and devastating finishing helped to earn his club seven major titles during his time with the Gunners. He was named PFA Players' Player of the Year in consecutive seasons between 2002 and 2004 and has been forever remembered with a statue of his famous knee slide celebration outside the Emirates Stadium.
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Do you think the side stands out as Wenger’s best ever XI? Leave your thoughts in the comment box below.
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