Arsene Wenger told the BBC that Alexis Sanchez will still be at Arsenal next season and that he’s hopeful the club can find an agreement with the Chilean to extend his contract.

Alexis scored the winner at Wembley against Manchester City, setting up Arsenal to seal Wenger’s place as the undisputed, and likely never bettered, all-time greatest manager in the history of the FA Cup.

“Alexis Sanchez was today like the team,” Wenger told the BBC. “He had problems to start and became stronger and stronger. He is an animal, he is always ready to kill the opponent. In games like that he will never give up and that is his strength.

“Hopefully he will still be here — he will of course still be here next year because he has a contract until 2018, and hopefully we will manage to extend him,” Wenger added.

This is not the first time that Wenger has said that he will hold Alexis to the length of his contract, even if that means risking losing him on a free next summer. It’s not even the second time he’s said it.

With reports that Alexis’ people are talking with PSG and the likes of Chelsea, City and United sniffing around, Arsenal face a tough ask to get Alexis to extend. The player, however, has also said that he wants to see out his contract at Arsenal.

What Arsenal do in the final year of his contract could well make up his mind.