Arsenal offering £150,000 a week for Van Persie to stay
Arsenal are ready to offer Robin van Persie an unprecedented pay deal, thought to be worth more than £150,000 a week and far in excess of what had previously been expected, in a bid to keep the striker next season.
The offer is likely to include a signing-on fee of about £5million in addition to a wage packet of more than £130,000 a week, which would comprise a record deal for an Arsenal player - though the club are aware that Van Persie's decision will not be wholly down to the money on offer but by the future prospects of the club.
The striker is highly unlikely to agree to any formal talks until the season is over and the future is clearer.
While Arsene Wenger's immediate concern is to rein in rivals Tottenham on Sunday - in the process ending a bleak spell that saw Arsenal's dreadful 4-0 defeat by AC Milan followed by a 2-0 FA Cup exit at Sunderland - the Van Persie situation is the most pressing problem facing the club this summer as they attempt to rebuild.
Yet it is Sunday's clash at The Emirates that is currently preoccupying Van Persie.
He said: 'Tottenham are above us for the first time in many years, but it's in our hands to change the way things are going, win the game and start moving closer to them.'
If Arsenal seal a Champions League qualification, there is a feeling that they can reconstruct a great team, with Borussia Dortmund star midfielder Mario Goetze and Cologne's Lukas Podolski likely additions.
Podolski is keen to join while Arsenal are currently in pole position to sign Goetze. But that could all change if they do not make the top four.
There is the prospect of losing not just Van Persie, but also Alex Song who, though he has two years left on his current deal, has resisted efforts by Arsenal to sign a new deal.
While Wenger's transfer fund for the summer is rumoured to be £50m, it is in fact less.
'It is not true [it is £50m],' admitted Wenger.
The figure is thought to be closer to £40m, and that also has to include the wages of any new recruit, meaning that in the best case scenario, that would only cover the signing of Goetze.
And even that headline figure could be in doubt if Arsenal are not in the Champions League, given the £45m deficit there would be in the accounts
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| Robin Van Persie |
The striker is highly unlikely to agree to any formal talks until the season is over and the future is clearer.
While Arsene Wenger's immediate concern is to rein in rivals Tottenham on Sunday - in the process ending a bleak spell that saw Arsenal's dreadful 4-0 defeat by AC Milan followed by a 2-0 FA Cup exit at Sunderland - the Van Persie situation is the most pressing problem facing the club this summer as they attempt to rebuild.
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| Arsenal eyes are on Lukas Podolski |
Yet it is Sunday's clash at The Emirates that is currently preoccupying Van Persie.
He said: 'Tottenham are above us for the first time in many years, but it's in our hands to change the way things are going, win the game and start moving closer to them.'
If Arsenal seal a Champions League qualification, there is a feeling that they can reconstruct a great team, with Borussia Dortmund star midfielder Mario Goetze and Cologne's Lukas Podolski likely additions.
 |
| Arsenal wants Dortmund |
There is the prospect of losing not just Van Persie, but also Alex Song who, though he has two years left on his current deal, has resisted efforts by Arsenal to sign a new deal.
While Wenger's transfer fund for the summer is rumoured to be £50m, it is in fact less.
'It is not true [it is £50m],' admitted Wenger.
The figure is thought to be closer to £40m, and that also has to include the wages of any new recruit, meaning that in the best case scenario, that would only cover the signing of Goetze.
And even that headline figure could be in doubt if Arsenal are not in the Champions League, given the £45m deficit there would be in the accounts
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