Wenger Discusses Contract Extensions and the Main Problem in Modern Day Football

The Last two seasons have seen the world record transfer broken in quick succession numerous times as Paul Pogba, Ousmane Dembele, Neymar and soon Kylian Mbappe sign to super clubs for astronomical fees.

With Arsene Wenger looking to extend Aaron Ramsey's and Danny Welbeck's contracts at Arsenal, the Frenchman discussed with The Guardian the effects of price inflation in the football market and how it damages contract extensions. 

Both Ramsey and Welbeck have been in good form after the draw against Chelsea and both are also committed to the Gunners until the summer of 2019.

Wenger believes that due to the drastic price inflation of players in recent years, more footballers are set to enter the last years of their contracts before being sold.

“It is something we want to address,” Wenger said regarding the striker's and midfielder's contracts. “Both of them are in a good moment for us. But with the level of transfers and the amounts that players expect on their contracts, you will have more and more players going into the final year of their contracts.

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"You will be in a position where you either extend for money you cannot afford or you go into the final year of their contract."

Wenger believes that clubs want too much money for normal players as he shared the statistic that 107 players in the Premier League this season got into the final year of their contract and there will be more in future. 

“They say that if one player is worth £200m [like Neymar], then this player is worth £50m. But everybody knows for that player £50m is too much and they cannot afford it. So what happens? The club cannot sell and doesn’t extend the contract, so more and more players are going into the final year of their contract.”

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Wenger also pointed out the fact that Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel has recently urged UEFA and FIFA to bring in new regulations introducing a cap to price inflation and spending fees in football. 

“For the first time, on the political front, the German prime minister has come out and, also, the president of Uefa has come out. I think, politically, something will happen in the next 12 months to regulate and limit the transfer amounts."

The Frenchman believes the transfer market should be either regulated properly or left completely open as it is in between the two in the present day.

"It is only to the advantage of some clubs who can deal with the [financial fair play] rules in a legal way.

“The regulation has to be stricter and clearer, or open the market completely and you can do what you want provided you can guarantee you have the money to pay. At the moment, we are a bit in between and that does not work.”