Wenger: We're so near to Vieira deal

Arsene Wenger is hoping Patrick Vieira will follow the lead of Dennis Bergkamp by signing a new contract at Highbury, despite his captain's huge wage demands.

The Arsenal manager was relieved to finally agree a one-year deal with Bergkamp at the weekend but then learned Vieira wants £110,000 a week to stay.

Vieira has made it clear that his contract must be settled by the start of the season and Arsenal need to wrap up a deal soon as the midfielder, a Bosman free agent next summer, is on Chelsea's wanted list.

Vieira has been valued at £40million in the past, but Arsenal would accept less than half that amount rather than lose the Frenchman for nothing in 12 months' time.

Wenger said: 'I believe Patrick is very close to signing. I am very optimistic. It is not all bad news. Rumours that we have had offers for Robert Pires, for instance, are not true. He is about to agree an extension to his contract.

'Dennis is a special talent with vast experience and that will certainly help us in our pursuit of honours. He has so much to offer.'

Wenger will hope countrymen Pires and Vieira encourage each other to stay at Highbury, but the Arsenal purse strings have never been tighter. Chelsea, though, would have no problem meeting Vieira's extravagant pay demands and may persuade him to cross London with an even bigger offer.

Vieira could become the top earner in world football, although Real Madrid have made it clear they want the 27-year-old to join their squad of superstars.

To add to Wenger's problems, Arsenal travel to Austria today for a pre-season tour still looking for a goalkeeper to replace David Seaman. Seventeen keepers have been linked to the club, but Valencia's Santiago Canizares remains the No.1 target.

Wenger had vowed to have a new keeper in place by the weekend, but had to play 22-year-old Graham Stack in the goalless draw at Barnet on Saturday as Stuart Taylor and Rami Shaaban were missing through injury.

But Wenger remains confident of adding to his squad before the start of the new campaign.

'I have confidence in Stuart Taylor but we're not sure he can go through a whole season as first choice, so we need to bring in someone experienced,' he said.

'I can't say when it will happen. I have put a deadline on it before and that has been and gone so I'm not going to put a deadline on it again.

'All I can say is that we are talking and we are hopeful. I cannot give you a name because we have not got that far. But Canizares is one of them, that is true.'