He keeps talking of his admiration for Barcelona, and dislike for other clubs. http://apps.facebook.com/theguardia...ce=other_multiline&fb_action_types=news.reads Would Barca bid for him? Granted, a front line of Messi, Villa and Van Persie would be terrifying, but could they afford him? I would want Villa, another player and cash for him.
I hope they don't. It's ironic that the one player who deserves to be able to leave us is the one we must keep at all cost.
Why does he deserve to be able to leave us? Is it because of all the loyalty that the club and fans have given him over the last few injury plagued years? Or is it because we reward him extremely well even though it's only in the last calender year that he has been consistently fit and on form? The only players who deserve to be sold by Arsenal are the ones who aren't good enough, like AA.
it would be the sort of dick thing they would do, after having all of their players announce it in the press that he is actually from spain, not holland, and needs to "come home"...
Well I just mean he has been loyal to us in the sense that he could have moved to other clubs that would pay him more and give him a chance to win things. And he's at the stage in his career where for his sake he needs a trophy, unlike some of the younger players we have let go. So you can see why you could argue it would be hard on him not to sell.
your worst nightmare could well come true, I'm sure Barca could afford him,and not many people would turn a chance like that down
We pay him £90k a week I think. He could get £200k somewhere else. I know £90k is a ridiculous amount to normal people, but in football terms we do NOT reward him extremely well.
Respectfully, I chose not to share that view. If you read anything that RVP says about the matter, he makes quite a specific point about being committed to Arsenal, not a throw away nod to keeping the fans onside.
He said that he doesn't even want to talk about contracts whilst the season is still ongoing, that he will sort it out in the summer. I don't think it's any indication that he's about to leave because he hasn't signed an extension yet.
Sorry Piskie, but do you really think that van Persie does any contract negotiation himself? Hardly a distraction for his agent to be talking to club officials and trying to agree terms, is it?
If he wants to wait til the end of the season, that means he's waiting for something. What is he waiting for? Proof that the club is moving upwards after Fab & Nasri left. Evidence so far? It's not. Chances of trophies this season? Not good. Improvements to be made in this transfer window? None. Chances of Champions League after this year? 50/50. Chances of RvP signing an extension? Definitely worse than 50/50 right now. I'd go so far as to say 80/20 against it happening.
Making Champions League is enough when you're early 20's and hoping you'll win something. When you're late 20's you want to WIN TROPHIES before you retire. He wants proof the club is going to challenge for the title. And it isn't.
I think he probably does and is quite likely to instruct his agent when to do so also. If contract negotiations were happening during the season, then of course he would be involved, so yes it might well be a distraction for him. He's said he'll sort it out in the summer. That's no evidence that he's thinking about leaving really.
