Arsenal to delay Arsene Wenger contract renewal talks?

Arsenal chiefs could delay holding talks with boss Arsene Wenger over a fresh contract at the club until the start of the new season.

The Frenchman is thought to have been identified as the Football Association’s top target to replace Roy Hodgsonas England manager following the Three Lions’ poor Euro 2016 showing.

It was suggested last week that Arsenal were planning on offering Wenger a new contract in order to fend off interest from elsewhere, with the 66-year-old entering the final year of his Emirates Stadium deal.

According to The Express, however, the Gunners are prepared to wait until August before beginning negotiations unless the FA make an official approach in the coming weeks.

Wenger’s future in North London has come under scrutiny on a number of occasions in recent seasons, with some fans launching a protest against his reign towards the end of the 2015-16 campaign as the Gunners’ title drought extended to 12 years.