Robin van Persie has now officially confirmed he will not be signing a contract extension this summer, however Arsenal are still ‘confident’ that he will remain a Gunner next season.
Wenger maintained last year he was confident Fabregas would stay, he was confident Na$ri would at least see out his contract, and now Arsenal and the Frenchman have stated they are confident Van Persie will stay. See the common occurrence?
The Dutchman outlined his main reason for leaving as wanting to win trophies and not for financial reasons – fair enough. Lukas Podolski and Olivier Giroud have joined the Gunners to win trophies, slightly contradictory to RvP, however the signings show ambition towards fighting for silverware… unlike last summer.
RvP has now thrown Arsenal into turmoil for a consecutive summer and essentially has broken his proposed media ban. He’s completely upset the Gunners hierarchy and fans by claiming the club’s ambitions are different his own after his initial talks with Gunners boss Wenger and chairman Gazidis.
So is it time to let the Premier League golden boot winner depart? While the Gunners have consistently maintained they will not be selling the Dutchman, they do not have the willpower to allow their star player run down his contract and miss out on £20 million. Chelsea managed to with both Kalou and Drogba and they were still big players for the club last season, but the Gunners board will find it hard to resist the temptation to receive a cupboard full of cash, despite Wenger’s best effort.
If the Arsenal board do manage to pull off the improbable and retain RvP for next season, reports are suggesting that Gooners alike do not fancy seeing the Dutchman in red and white next season. This is mainly due to the years the club have stood by the forward through consistent injuries and after one (amazing) full season he is ready to move on, a bit of a slap in the face really.
But time is of the essence for the striker with his 29th birthday fast approaching. He essentially only has another 2-4 years at peak fitness, so it seems more and more likely that the striker will not be leading the Arsenal out the tunnel next season as he looks to secure some trophies.
With Van Persie heading out the door, who will take over the cursed captain armband? This is the third season in a row that a new club captain will be appointed which has again highlighted the constant instability at the club with star players leaving before they should. Thomas Vermaelen seems the obvious choice who is currently vice captain, and he has confirmed he will be at the Emirates for a long time, so (fingers crossed) we will not have to appoint a new club captain in 2013.
What are your thoughts on Van Persie’s situation? Are you keen for the Dutchman to remain a Gunner next season despite not committing to a new contact? Personally I’d be happy if he saw out his contract with the club and it would be a fitting exit for one of the clubs most talented players in it’s modern history.
Feel free to comment below or in Van Persie’s thread in the allArsenal forum.
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