Arsenal chief executive Ivan Gazidis has admitted the club is still planning for Arsene Wenger to be in charge for a long time to come.
The Gunners boss faced criticism towards the end of the season after another collapse in the Premier League title race.
A protest against Wenger was staged during a match against Norwich this season, with a minority of supporters holding up banners carrying the message: "Time to change."
The majority of fans rallied around Wenger during the match though, and Arsenal went on to secure a second-placed top flight finish for the first time in 11 years.
And Gazidis has revealed the club still holds the belief that Wenger is the right man to deliver trophies to the Emirates.
"The reason that Arsene is here is because he believes that he can deliver success," Gazidis told the Telegraph. "If either of us didn’t believe that we would not be constrained by nostalgia or longing; we would have to make a change."
Gazidis admits both parties are aware that Wenger, 66, can't carry on forever as manager, but that the club's immediate plans are all centred around the Frenchman.
“He’s in his mid-sixties, it’s natural to think about when his time here might come to an end, but the truth is nobody knows,” adds Gazidis.
“He is in fantastic shape. He is deeply engaged and excited. One of the biggest challenges we will face is the transition, whenever it happens, but that is not something we are going to be facing imminently. Obviously, he is going to be managing us next year and we are planning and making many decisions for the long term."
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