Wenger seeks swift RVP resolution
Arsene Wenger, left, claims Robin van Persie is a 'world-class striker'
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has reiterated his desire to keep Robin van Persie, but wants the captain's future sorted one way or the other by the start of the new Barclays Premier League season.
The 28-year-old Holland striker announced after the European Championship that he would not be renewing his current deal at the Emirates Stadium, which expires at the end of next term, and questioned the club's ambitions.
Speaking in Malaysia at the start of the Gunners' pre-season tour, Wenger said at a press conference: "We are very, very ambitious. You know that. Not only very ambitious, but also very proud of the way we run our club."
He went on: "Van Persie is a world-class striker and I am a big supporter of him. I have supported him through his whole career. He has one year left and is in demand but our desire is to keep him.
"However, we will do what is in best interest of the club. If you have a decoder in your head you can decode that."
Wenger will no doubt be keen to avoid a repeat of last year, when both Samir Nasri and Cesc Fabregas were sold towards the end of the summer transfer window.
"The official transfer deadline is August 31 but then we can create an internal deadline," the Frenchman said.
Asked if that was before the new campaign kicks off, he replied: "Of course. I believe the transfer market should stop before the season starts anyway."
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Attention Arsenal fans.
The way you guys are insulting and abusing Van Persie is very much against the traditions of the Arsenal fc that I have come to know.
Remember that other great talented footballers are watching the treatment being meted out to a fellow player and would therefore think twice before coming to Arsenal.
But the number of players leaving is increasing year after year and it will be simplistic if not utter folly to blame the issue on the players or money alone.
I hold my hand up as I accept my own share of the blame. Remember how we roundly and unitedly turned on Galas for questioning the ambition of the club.
Wenger stubbornly stuck to his philosophies of wage limit, age limit and not buying proven stars. Those philosophies that denied us easier glories in the recent past have now been abandoned by Wenger. And meanwhile trophies were not won and time was lost as well (because of policies that now have been abandoned). Make your voice count. Make your membership count.
Arsenal have the best tradition and infrastructure in the country to become the biggest club in the country. Your dreams and ambitions can take you as far as you want- even within the bounds of reality and practicality.
As a club, we have been in the business of buying and selling of players. But the little minded and small time accountants have not managed to sell our best players for more than £30 million. Consider how much Man U sold Ronaldo. Consider how much Newcastle sold Carrol. Consider how much Liverpool sold Torres.
We have been for long convinced and programmed to belive that the present system and dreams are the best. Its time to think again. Seven years ago we talked about building for the futue. The future is today. We can not continue to postpone the future.
I hope Arsenal stick to their guns and demand a fee of £25 million+.
If we don't get it, let's do a Levy wave his contract in his face, don't sell him keep him at Arsenal, give the captaincy to Vermaelen and play RvP in EVERY single game for the full 90 minutes unless tactics dictate otherwise that Arsenal has to get their money's worth out of him, then let him go for free. He'll either be broken, knackered or totally disheartened come the end of next season.
We'll see who'll want him then!!!
