Both players are currently on one-year extensions which run out at the end of the season. Arsène Wenger has said now that he expects to make a decision by the end of this month, on whether or not to offer them further extensions. He added, "I cannot say how I am feeling because I want to let them know first." (is it just me or does that sound kind of ominous?)

Wenger has recently used summer signings Silvinho and Oleg "the Moose" Luzhny in his starting line-ups. I think it's probably fair to say that the jury is still out on Luzhny, who has had some good games and some stinkers. Silvinho, on the other hand, just gets better and better. But so does Nigel Winterburn.