Arsene Wenger admitted, with a smile, that contract negotiations with Mesut Ozil are progressing.

The boss appears more confident about the German extending him existing deal with Arsenal than he does Alexis, whose contract is also up in 2018.

Speaking to the press ahead of the Gunners’ trip to Sunderland, Wenger was asked about how the talks were going with the playmaker, to which the manager replied that there wasn’t much to report but agreed that things are progressing.

“There is nothing really concrete enough to talk about,” he smiled.

“It is moving along.”

Good to know.

Arsenal's German midfielder Mesut Ozil celebrates scoring his hat trick, and his team's sixth goal, during the UEFA Champions League Group A football match between Arsenal and Ludogorets Razgrad at The Emirates Stadium in London on October 19, 2016 (BEN STANSALL/AFP/Getty Images)
Arsenal’s German midfielder Mesut Ozil celebrates scoring his hat trick, and his team’s sixth goal, during the UEFA Champions League Group A football match between Arsenal and Ludogorets Razgrad at The Emirates Stadium in London on October 19, 2016 (BEN STANSALL/AFP/Getty Images)

Although I don’t want to get ahead of myself, I’m pretty confident that Ozil will extend his contract with Arsenal. He’s happy in London, is enjoying excellent form and is playing week in, week out. With us, the whole team more or less revolves around him; he’s the centrepiece. He might not be if he moved and I’m sure he knows this.

As far as Alexis is concerned, everything’s gone a little bit quiet. I’m just hoping that’s not a bad sign.