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Arsenal AGM key points: Wenger's future, Usmanov, Gazidis and contracts

Arsenal's Annual General Meeting on Thursday was most notable for the level of discontent and hostility shown by the 200 or so individual shareholders who attended. But in between the booing from the crowd and the non-answers given by the board of directors, there were plenty of football-related talking points as well.

Here's a look at what was said about some of the main topics up for discussion.

Arsene Wenger's future

Having seen how the speculation surrounding Wenger's future became such a disruptive distraction last season, shareholders wanted to know how the board plans to handle the same situation next summer, when Wenger will once again have just one year remaining on his contract.

However, CEO Ivan Gazidis refused to give a timeline for when a decision could be made on whether to renew Wenger's contract once more.

"It wouldn't be sensible to fuel speculation by setting a public pre-existing schedule" for such a decision, he said.

Wenger himself, meanwhile, assured shareholders that "my hunger, my commitment is bigger than ever," but then indicated that he expects his position to be the subject of annual review. "I will sit down every year with my board to see where I go from there," he said.

No board seat for Usmanov

Chairman Sir Chips Keswick made it clear that the board will continue to keep minority shareholder Alisher Usmanov -- who owns 30 percent of shares in the club -- at arm's length.

A large section of fans want the Russian billionaire to be offered a seat on the board, but Keswick said that's not about to happen.

"He has not been offered a position on the board and that remains the position," Keswick said. However, the Arsenal chairman did not elaborate on the reasons for why Usmanov is being frozen out, despite shouts of "why?" from the crowd.

Ivan Gazidis' bonus

Keswick defended a bonus of £919,000 given to Gazidis for the last fiscal year, which shareholders had criticised in light of Arsenal's fifth-place finish in the Premier League.

Keswick said the bonus was based on "a very broad spectrum of objectives," including financial targets and long-term revenue growth.

"Ivan is doing a fantastic and first-class job leading the development of this club across every aspect of its operation," Keswick said. "We are fortunate to have him as our CEO and I'm very grateful that he does as much as he does."

TV money

Gazidis also defended the stance of the six major Premier League clubs over the redistribution of overseas TV revenues, saying other leagues have much wider gaps in the way money is shared by top and bottom teams.

Gazidis said the current overall revenue split between Premier League teams only gives the top clubs about 50 percent more money than the bottom sides, while the ratio in other top European leagues is more than 3-to-1.

"We have always supported the collective model [but] we also believe that the key to the Premier League's success is the quality of its football," Gazidis said. "The league should have the best team and the best players... We believe the right balance can achieve all these objectives."

Player contracts

Shareholders also wanted to know why Arsenal have allowed so many players to enter the final year of their contracts, with Alexis Sanchez, Mesut Ozil and Jack Wilshere all able to leave the club for free next summer. Gazidis, though, used the opportunity to say the decision not to sell Ozil and Sanchez this summer proves that Arsenal are not motivated by profits.

"The decisions on Alexis and Mesut Ozil are certainly not decisions that fit the narrative that we put money first. But we have taken that approach to give the club the best possible chance to compete for trophies this season," he said.

"Probably the most vocal criticism we've ever had at an annual general meeting was after we had transferred Robin van Persie in the last year of his contract [for £24m to Manchester United]. That was one of the most difficult decisions we've ever had to make.

"We were told then that we were financially motivated and not focused on football. This summer, with stronger underlying financials, we've taken a different tack."