With Vieira having already left in a £13.8m (€20m) move to AC Milan and such a young squad, which is the last thing which Arsene Wenger needs.

However, Gilberto insisted: “My contract runs until August 2006. I am extremely calm and happy with the possibility to renew the contract. We will sit down and talk about it.

“I will only leave Arsenal if a wonderful chance appears to leave here. I share the will of the club, know the staff well and already I’ve made some history here.”

Gilberto – who took part in Arsenal’s unbeaten league campaign in 2003-04 - may one day return to finish his career in his native Brazil, but is not ready to leave the Barclays Premiership just yet.

“What I want is to improve each season that I play,” he told Brazilian newspaper Gazeta Esportiva. It could happen that I return to Brazil to finish my career, but the most important thing would be that I would return having learned something new.”

While Gilberto, therefore, looks set to stay, Thierry Henry – who has two years left on his contract – has also indicated his willingness to sign a new deal.

Henry last week insisted talks were already “on”, while Wenger revealed negotiations would start soon with his new captain.

“Thierry was busy during the holidays because he had a daughter and was very busy with that,” the Arsenal boss told the club’s official website, www.arsenal.com.

“We agreed to get through the summer and do it when the season has started. We will sit down with Thierry as soon as he is ready.

“When I decided to make him captain, one of the reasons was because he was always in his statements committed to the club. I don’t know why it would have changed since he has become captain and I hope it will not change.”