Transfer news: Tomas Rosicky and Arsenal reach 'an agreement' over new contract, reveals Arsene Wenger

Rosicky joined the Gunners in 2006 and the 33-year-old is out of contract in the summer but Wenger is adamant that the Czech Republic captain will be staying at the Emirates

(GETTY IMAGES)

Following Arsenal’s 4-1 victory over Sunderland on Saturday, Arsene Wenger finally had some contract news to reveal. However, following months of expectation that the 64-year-old will extend his stay in charge of the club into and 18th year and beyond, it did not concern himself but rather midfielder Tomas Rosicky.

The Czech Republic captain is out of contract in the summer, and with the 33-year-old currently in his best run of fitness since joining the club, he looks set to be handed an extension to keep him with the Gunners.

“Tomas Rosicky will stay,” Wenger confirmed in a post-match press conference. “We have an agreement with him and it will come out soon. I am absolutely adamant he has to stay at the club.”

Rosicky seems to have a knack of performing at his very best when it’s contract renewal time, having experienced a purple patch of form the last time he was in his final six months of his stay at the Emirates. But regular watchers of the midfielder have praised Rosicky for his big game temperament and his work rate in both attack and defence, and that’s without including his deft touch on the ball that he demonstrated in the weekend victory over the Black Cats.

Starting the move, Rosicky exchanged passes with team-mates Santi Cazorla and Jack Wilshere before lightly chipping the ball over an advancing former Gunner in Vito Mannone, registering his second goal of the season and his first of the Premier League campaign in 17 appearances.

The slick, first-time passing attack echoed Wilshere’s goal earlier in the season that is without a doubt a contender for the goal of the season, and helped get the Gunners’ title charge back on track following the 5-1 defeat to Liverpool – their last league match over a fortnight ago.

Arsenal have since beaten the Reds in the FA Cup fifth round, drew with Manchester United in a drab goalless affair in the league and suffered a 2-0 defeat in their Champions League last-16 first leg to Bayern Munich, but the victory helped ease fears that they were going through the annual collapse that has blighted the north London club around this time of year in recent seasons.

Wenger had further praise for Rosicky, relating to his nickname of “Little Mozart” when he first arrived at the club in 2006.

“When he arrived, he was less a tactical player and more the Mozart from Prague,” Wenger admitted. “He was purely a creative, offensive player. But today, he is a real organiser as well. He gives a real structure to the team.

“He is one of the players who plays the game of give-and-move and he is a great accelerator of the game. He always makes things happen, not with individual dribbling but with individual acceleration of his passing and his runs. His goal was one of the top goals we have scored.”