Patrick Vieira (right) happy at Arsenal (ShaunBotterill/Allsport)

The 25-year-old French international has revealed he did contemplate joining Manchester United during the summer and claims his agent spoke to the Old Trafford club.

But Vieira, who was quoted in a national newspaper in June as saying: 'I do not honestly see Arsenal finishing in the top five in the league and you can forget about the Champions League', now says he is 'happy to stay' after the Highbury board convinced him the Gunners remain an ambitious club.

'Yes, it was possible that I would leave in the summer,' he told the News of the World. 'It is possible for me to leave at the end of next season. In football like life anything can happen. It is also possible for me to stay here for the next 10 years.

'The crucial thing is that no-one will ever get me to do what I don't want to do.'

He warned: 'If I see at any time that Arsenal don't do everything to try to win trophies, that their ambitions no longer match mine, then that's it.

'I have three years left on my contract but we are already talking about a new deal which could be for five or six more years.

'If everything is right I will have no problem signing for so long if we keep winning trophies and competing with the biggest clubs in Europe, there's no reason for me to leave the club.'

United have claimed that their only contact with Arsenal about Vieira was when chief executive Peter Kenyon spoke to Arsenal vice-chairman David Dein.

The Premiership champions subsequently signed Juan Sebastian Veron from Lazio for £28.1million.

But Vieira revealed: 'It is true that these clubs contacted my agents and that I was thinking about it.

'Why not Manchester United? In football anything is possible. It's not that I was thinking to leave but my agent came to me and said people were interested in me.

'And when it is a big club like Manchester United or Real Madrid, then you have to be interested.

'There were talks, although I never personally met anyone from Manchester United, Real Madrid or Juventus. But my agent did. That's his job.

'They knew that I was talking about leaving so, of course, I had to discuss the whole issue with them the manager, Mr Dein, the board.

'I wanted to know from them what their ambitions were for the next two to three years.

'And they convinced me that they want to be just like Real Madrid and Juventus. They are determined to become one of their biggest clubs in Europe.

'That's what I wanted to hear, and I believe them and trust them so I'm happy to stay.'

As for his new contract, Vieira added: 'I want more years, more money.

'Then it won't be a problem for me to sign. If I can get what I want, what I deserve, I will open my arms and take it because this is my job football is my job not my hobby.

'Everyone in the game is making money. The clubs are making money so why not the players?