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Arsene Wenger intends to make a decision on his future before the end of August to avoid speculation becoming “a handicap” on Arsenal’s bid to regain the Barclays Premier League title.

The Frenchman has yet to announce whether he will extend his current contract, which expires at the end of the season, though the Arsenal board have already declared their intention to retain the services of the man who has revolutionised the club since arriving in September 1996.

Wenger, though, does not want the focus deflected from the team’s battle to again

become the dominant force of English football. “It [his decision over signing a new contract] will be soon, two weeks or three weeks,” he said. “The degrees of soon are the speed of the negotiations of the contract. There are always two parties in that and you cannot always decide, also sometimes the lawyers are on holiday, so you wait one more week. For me that is not a big problem.

“There is a need to do that before the end of August because I do not want that to be a handicap for the success of the team, that it could be used to question a little bit the success of the team.”

Wenger added: “I do not want my players to find this kind of excuses. “I have a responsibility towards the fans, the players, the club. I have worked here for 10 years, and I want to stand up for that. “I know that it is something important.”

Arsenal kick off the new domestic season again Fulham at Emirates Stadium at noon on Sunday, before then heading to the Czech Republic for the first leg of the Champions League third-round qualifier.

Wenger admits Arsenal will be “different” this season without Thierry Henry. However, the Gunners boss maintains his young squad can emerge to challenge the dominance of Manchester United and Chelsea.

“There is a big contrast with the feeling outside our squad and the strength of belief we have within the club,” said Wenger. “I read in the papers that everybody writes us off, but I feel they are wrong. “We may have been less busy with names on the market, but what is important is how you perform on the pitch - and I believe we have enough quality to do that.

“We have worked with the team, to blossom. Manchester United and Liverpool have gone for a different policy. Chelsea have kept stability this year without spending a lot, that is new. So let’s see who wins in the end.”