Arsene Wenger has rubbished rumors linking Robin Van Persie with a move away from the Emirates and has laughed off reports of the striker’s willingness to leave Arsenal.
The 28 year old Arsenal captain has a year left on his current contract and there have been speculations over his future at the club. Van Persie was offered a new contract with a club record wage of £130k per week, which he turned down prior to leaving for the Euro championships. It was reported that the player had become disillusioned with Wenger’s transfer policies and urged the manager to sign some quality players in order to contest for silverware next season.
Plenty of clubs have been linked to the Dutch striker most notable ones being Manchester City and Juventus. City boss Roberto Mancini declared his interest publicly only for Van Persie senior to rule out any possible move to a direct competitor of Arsenal. The striker’s family is said to be very well settled in London and that could well be the deciding factor for his future.
Speaking to the La Repubblica, Wenger said, “He will stay at Arsenal.”
“There is no reason why a top player, a big champion would want a move to Serie A – in terms of the prestige of the league, the level of play or financial considerations.
“If he moves there, I will buy you a caramello.”
This news will come as a great relief for the Gunner fans as losing their talismanic captain would have been a real knock out blow to their chances of competing for the league title next season.