Contrary to the odds, Wenger will see out his current Arsenal deal

The betting suggests Arsene Wenger will not see out his current contract at Arsenal, despite the Frenchman’s insistence earlier in the week that he had no intention of doing otherwise.

Those who think the three-time Premier League-winning coach will be making his Emirates exit before the expiration date on his current deal – which runs until the end of next season – can get paid out at 4/7, with an odds-against 5/4 providing the opposition.

However, Ladbrokes have it marked up at 1/2 that Wenger is still occupying the Gunners’ hot seat come the first day of next season, which contradicts the notion that he will depart the club earlier than anticipated.

Clearly, something drastic will have to happen before the Arsenal board move to sack Wenger, having stuck with him through eight trophy-less campaigns. Even a failure to qualify for next season’s Champions League is unlikely to alter their mind set, with widespread reports circulating that they are finally prepared to arm him with a war chest of cash to make the team of sufficient calibre to challenge at home and abroad.

This indicates that the long-serving coach will be at the club until the end of next season in the minimum, while the two front-runners in the betting for which club will appoint the 63-year-old following his north London departure also serves to provide opposition to the bet dictating Wenger won’t fulfil his Arsenal contract.

Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid are the two favourites – 8/11 for PSG, 9/4 for Los Merengues – and institutions intent on challenging at the top end of the league (unless they’re Chelsea) don’t tend to change managers mid-season or, if they do, they appoint temporarily from within.

So, unless Wenger takes over at either of those teams next summer – a notion that the odds refute – it would appear that he won’t be managing anywhere other than Arsenal before his current contract runs out.

All odds and markets accurate as of publication’s time and date