Arsene Wenger
Arsene Wenger Reuters

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is reportedly close to signing a new three-year contract at the Emirates as he looks to bring in a striker in January, according to the Express.

Wenger's contract runs out at the end of the season and the Frenchman is yet to sign an extension with the north London club. The report claims that the club officials are happy with the 64-year-old manager's progress this season and are looking to keep him at the Emirates till 2017.

The Gunners's boss is likely to receive a salary of £24m over three years, making him the Premier League's second highest paid manager behind Chelsea's Jose Mourinho. Earlier this season, Wenger refused to give an update on his contract extension, but admitted that he remains committed to the north London side.

"I have been here for 17 years, and I just want to make sure that I deliver to this club what the club is expecting. I decided that at the start of the season because we had a very difficult start, and I want to continue that and do a good job and focus on that. My commitment is not a problem to this club," Wenger explained.

Meanwhile, Wenger had come under sharp criticism for not spending heavily on players in previous transfer windows as the Gunners have gone without silverware for eight seasons. However, things changed last summer when he signed Mesut Ozil from Real Madrid for a club record transfer fee of £42.5m on the deadline day.

The Frenchman has the financial backing from the club in bringing high-profile players and are the firm favourites to win the Premier League title this season. Arsenal sit on top of the table with 34 points and a victory over Everton at home could see them extend their lead to seven points at the top.

The Express reports that the Frenchman wants to add a stellar name to bolster his strike force in January.

Wenger has Olivier Giroud and Nicklas Bendtner as the two senior strikers in the squad. The Gunners's manager is reportedly keeping tabs on Karim Benzema, Robert Lewandowski and Luis Suarez to strengthen Arsenal's attacking division, but any move in the mid-season transfer window seems unlikely to materialise.