There are, meanwhile, the futures of Kanu and Sylvain Wiltord to resolve. They are also out of contract this summer, along with Martin Keown.

Arsenal are hoping to sign another striker this summer, with the club said to be showing renewed interest in Feyenoord’s Robin van Persie.

But Bergkamp, who turns 35 in May, argues that he has been confounding the sceptics for the past couple of years and is ready to carry on doing so.

“Ever since 2000, I’ve read that I’m going to play fewer games. But I’m still playing a lot! So the manager can say it again,” he said.

“You have to look at how the season goes with injuries. If I can maintain this level then I hope I’ll be useful.

“A lot of players who are coming towards the end of their careers are happy that it’s finishing, but it’s going to be difficult for me to leave this team.

“When you really enjoy football, and this is football at the highest level, you want to keep doing it if you feel you can. I feel I can still do it, and it would be difficult to say goodbye.”

Bergkamp admits that titles – this was his third at Highbury – get sweeter with age. That is especially so since he has played in 26 of the 34 league games so far this season, starting 19 of them and scoring four times.

“Football-wise, I haven’t surprised myself – but physically you never know if you can keep it up all season. I’ve hardly missed a training session and just a few games, so I’m quite happy with that,” he added.

Bergkamp nevertheless does not wish to be put through another frustrating summer like last year when the club made him a low initial wage offer and took time to increase it before a deal was eventually struck.

After all, if he does not play a final year at Arsenal, Bergkamp would be likely to retire – although several clubs in Holland would be keen to take him on.

“The manager has promised that it will be sorted out sooner than last year. Last year, the timing was difficult. We only had one meeting before I went on holiday, but I’d like it to be done before the end of the season now,” he added.

“The manager spoke to me the day before the Manchester United game in the league last month.

"He asked me what I wanted. I said that I wanted to carry on and he said ‘then we’re on the same lines, because I think you can do it as well’. That was basically it. He said he wanted to sort it out sooner than last year.”

At least playing with Henry is keeping Bergkamp young, with their partnership having already fully developed.

The Dutchman asked: “What more can you say about him [Henry]? It’s amazing at this level that he can just pick up a ball and just go past three or four defenders at pace and with skill.

“He makes those players look a bit silly sometimes, but it’s just tremendous talent. It’s wrong, but sometimes you expect that from him.

“You could think ‘give it to Thierry, and he will do it for us’. He’s very good in the team, though. With the level he’s on now, he could maybe have a bit of right to just float a bit.

“But he stays with us and keeps helping the team. He’s a very strong player, very physical and very skilful and has a lot of pace. He scores a lot of goals, and if there’s a weakness I wouldn’t know where!”