Wenger on striker deal

Champions League football next season would help Arsenal's bid to extend Robin van Persie's contract according to Arsene Wenger.

A win at West Brom in the final game of the season would ensure the Gunners go straight into the group stages of Europe's elite club competition once again, defeat and they could miss out alltogether. The striker has a year left on his present deal and talks over a new deal will happen soon but asked if guaranteeing Champions League football would make it easier to convince Van Persie to sign an extension to his current deal. Wenger said: "On my side I am inclined to think 'yes', but you should ask him. I don't know whether it will have an influence on him. Anyway, we don't focus on just that. Robin is not at the end of his contract." Wenger feels the Gunners would not necessarily be forced to sell Van Persie, as they did with Cesc Fabregas to Barcelona and Samir Nasri to Manchester City last summer. He added: "People speak like our position is not important. Our position is very important," said Wenger. "Our position with Cesc was to let him go because he wanted to go."