Arsene Wenger has apparently won his battle to keep all his backroom staff at Arsenal past this summer.

• Wenger’s had same backroom staff (minus Pat Rice) for 21 years
• Has handed backroom staff new deals
• Even goalkeeping and fitness coaches stay
• Someone will be hired to deal with recruitment but won’t be called director of football

After finishing fifth last season, it was always understood that if Wenger signed a new deal with Arsenal, which he obviously did, that he would have to prove to supporters that he was willing to change. That while sticking to his guns and being stubborn, to a degree, can be a strength, it can also be a weakness.

However, according to a report in the Times that everyone appears to be talking about this Tuesday, this isn’t the case.

Well, at least not when it comes to the backroom staff, who have all allegedly been handed new deals after theirs were set to run out this month.

Assistant manager, Steve Bould, is staying, which isn’t really a huge surprise, as are coaches Boro Primorac and Neil Banfield.

The two main men who were expected to leave were Gerry Peyton, the goalkeeping coach, and Tony Colbert, the fitness coach. However, they’re both staying as well.

There will, apparently, be someone hired to help strengthen Arsenal’s ‘recruitment department’ but, of course, given Wenger’s aversion to the job title ‘director of football’, they won’t be called that. At least not in front of the manager…

Gooner meltdown in 3…2…1…