Football
Kevin Palmer 9y

Francis Coquelin and Chuba Akpom agree new Arsenal contracts

LONDON -- Francis Coquelin and Chuba Akpom have agreed new contracts with Arsenal, manager Arsene Wenger has confirmed.

Coquelin has impressed for Arsenal since being recalled from his loan at Charlton in December, while teenage forward Akpom has been tipped for a bright future and has caught the eye with some recent cameos in the first team.

Speaking ahead of Saturday's North London derby, Wenger said the pair will sign extensions with the club while also outlining he was content with the transfer business conducted in January as Gabriel Paulista arrived from Villarreal.

"We are happy with the work we did in the transfer window," said Wenger. "The target was on two fronts; the first was to get a central defender in, which we did. The second was to extend contract of Coquelin and Akpom, which we did. We are very happy with what we did."

Wenger went on to suggest the lack of transfer activity in the winter window backs up his belief that the selling period needs to be scrapped, saying: "People on TV looked a bit lost.

"It shows that financial fair play had an impact, for sure. We have experience of seasons before, but this time across Europe, nothing happened. It pushes even more the idea, let's get rid of it. Go from season to season with the same players otherwise it disturbs the cohesion of a group.

"When the players don't play in September or October, they think maybe I can move in January. You lose them and in our job it is important that everyone is on board and I find the transfer window a disturbance."

Meanwhile, Wenger rejected suggestions that there was any irregularity with Calum Chambers' transfer from Southampton to Arsenal last summer, amid reports that the deal is being investigated by the game's authorities.

"I am very happy with his transfer," added Wenger. "I made over 350 transfers since I was here and we have had a lot of enquiries about them and we never had any problem."

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