Robin van Persie is almost certain to be sold by Arsenal in the next few weeks after the Dutchman confirmed he will not be signing a new contract at the club — with Manchester City the overwhelming favourites to sign him.
Arsenal have announced they are confident their captain will "fulfil his commitments to the club", although they did not go as far as to say he will not be sold under any circumstances.
Van Persie’s statement, released via his official website, is seemingly an attempt to force Arsenal into selling him this summer as he has just a year left on his contract.
The captain’s current deal expires at the end of next season and his decision means that Arsenal are likely to off-load him now, with City and Juventus the principal suitors.
Last season’s double Footballer of the Year, who would be valued at more than €25 million, claimed he made his decision due to significant disagreements with manager Arsene Wenger and chief executive Ivan Gazidis over how the club were going to end their seven-year trophy drought.
Van Persie insists he has not even discussed money with Arsenal, but City could be able to offer the 28-year-old a salary of around €290,000 per week, almost double the amount Arsenal would be willing to pay.
Yet Van Persie’s decision is a body-blow to Arsenal, despite the summer signings of Olivier Giroud and Lukas Podolski. The pair were meant to play as part of a front-three alongside van Persie, but the Dutchman’s attempt to force through his exit is likely to put paid to that prospect. And any chance of van Persie being held to the final year have receded due to the stringent criticism he has made of the direction he believes the club is going in.
In the statement, he concludes: "As soon as Mr Gazidis is back from his two-week holiday in America further meetings will follow and I will update you if and when there are more developments."
Yet Arsenal — who deny that Gazidis is on holiday — responded with a brief statement of their own.
It read: "We have to respect Robin’s decision not to renew his contract.
"We are planning with ambition and confidence for next season with Arsenal’s best interests in mind."
Yet it would be a huge shock if Arsenal are not looking for another new captain, with van Persie having only been in the role since last summer, when Cesc Fabregas was sold to Barcelona.
Van Persie’s news did not come as a surprise, yet there will still be anger at the way he appears to have decided to join City’s revolution — and there will be concern, too, at what that may mean for competition in the Premier League.
Former Gunners striker Alan Smith does not believe, however, the Dutchman was swayed by riches alone.
"From what I have heard from people close to Robin he’s not motivated by money," he said. "I think at his age, he’s 28, it’s about winning medals. He’s in his peak years now. I truly believe in this case he wants to win things in the next few years when he can. That doesn’t reflect well, of course, on Arsenal.
"But Robin van Persie is looking at the next few years when he’s 28, 29, 30; he thinks they can’t win trophies. You don’t want to say it but you probably have to agree with him."
Former midfielder Ray Parlour believes van Persie had made up his mind some time ago.
"I think he knew three or four months ago that he wasn’t going to stay," he said. "That’s football these days. People move on quickly. Arsenal have to accept it and move on."
With van Persie set to fetch top dollar Parlour has urged Arsenal to immediately reinvest the money in the squad.
"When Fabregas and [Samir] Nasri left the money wasn’t invested back in. They need to spend the amount they get and maybe more as well. Maybe they can get two or more players with this money," said Parlour.
