If Arsenal thought there was a lot at stake when they took the pitch against West Brom on Sunday afternoon, it’s nothing compared to what rests on the outcome of the coming weeks.
While fans of the club will rightly bask in the glow of third place and a guaranteed Champions League spot, it’s time to address the future of Robin van Persie, and Arsenal cannot slip up when it comes to their captain.
Throughout the season, when it seemed like all was lost, it was Van Persie who put the club on his back. The Dutch striker was the heart and soul of the Gunners, as he dragged his teammates to victory after victory with his dynamic performances.
Arsenal’s talisman notched 30 of the Gunners’ 74 goals (a whopping 40.5 percent) in 2011-12, and helped ensure that Arsene Wenger and company would continue to feature in the Champions League.
Van Persie has a year left on his contract, and with Euro 2012 looming on the horizon, club and player will sit down in the near future to talk about his future at the Emirates, a conversation that will determine a lot about Arsenal’s intentions as a club.
Per BBC Sport:
“We will have a chat next week somewhere with the boss [Wenger] and Ivan Gazidis,” Van Persie said.
When asked if his future will be sorted out quickly one way or another, he said: “You never know but Arsenal is a massive club, a great club.
“I have been playing here for eight years and I love this club. Whatever happens that will never change.”
Much will be made of these comments, but the truth is that Arsenal has to prove their intent to ensure that Van Persie will continue to captain the Gunners into the future. Obtaining the signature of Lukas Podolski was a good start, but it’s only a drop in the bucket if the club is going to return to the heights they once reached.
Wenger must toss aside his antiquated wage structure and offer his star player a contract worthy of his immense talent and stature. Now is not the time to haggle with someone that means so much in terms of keeping Arsenal competitive.
Not only that, but it’s time to cut the dead weight that has long sat on the bench and free up space for smart, aggressive transfer business. Players like Marouane Chamakh need to go, and viable replacements need to be brought in to solidify the roster.
This is easier said than done, but has to happen to make the Gunners the competitive force they once were. For far too long, the club has been linked to top talent, only to watch it sign elsewhere. The days of haggling for signatures needs to end, and Wenger needs to put money into the transfer market to give Arsenal the depth and attacking venom they sorely lacked this season.
Van Persie means many things to fans of the club, and to see him go elsewhere a year after Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri walked out the door would be a hammer blow to the hearts and minds of Gooners everywhere.
This is Arsenal’s fight to lose, and if they fail to put their money where their mouth is, they deserve to watch Van Persie tally goal after goal in another shirt next season.
Article source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1137062-arsenal-fc-coming-weeks-are-make-or-break-for-triumphant-gunners
Arsenal fans will be nervous about Robin van Persie’s future this summer, but his willingness to speak with Arsene Wenger and Ivan Gazidis so early on is a good sign for the Gunners.
Van Persie has stated all along that he wouldn’t discuss contract negotiations until the season was completed. Now just a day after the final match of the year, he’s ready to talk.
“I have been playing here for eight years and I love this club,” he stated. “Whatever happens that will never change. We will sit down next week.”
The sit-down will take place on Wednesday at 10:30 BST.
The Holland international was absolutely spectacular this season for Arsenal. He netted 30 goals in just 38 matches, and is en route to establishing himself as the best forward in the EPL. There’s no question that pretty much every club in the world will vie for his services next season.
van Persie’s goal-scoring has been other-worldly this year
Mike Hewitt/Getty Images
RVP can play with whatever club he wants, but, at the very least, Van Persie’s eagerness to discuss his future with Wenger so quickly means that RVP is on good terms with the club, and both sides are ready and willing to work with each other
On the surface, Wednesday’s meeting isn’t a big deal. Van Persie has wanted to get a meeting in before linking up with the Netherlands for Euro 2012, and no decision will actually be made when the sides get together on Wednesday.
Nonetheless, the sooner the better for Arsenal, who know all too painfully about not getting negotiations going quickly enough only to lose key players late in the transfer period.
Ahem, Samir Nasri and Cesc Fabregas.
And, according to a Daily Mail exclusive, Arsenal plan to offer a £130,000 per-week deal and £5 million signing fee to hold on to their star striker.
So many times in this situation, the star player and manager won’t be ready to talk and a meeting would take weeks to commence. By then, the player would be ready to move on. Essentially, in this case, the swifter pace can only be seen as a positive for the Gunners and their fans who desperately hope to see RVP at the Emirates next year.
The 2011-12 FWA Footballer of the Year and his family are happy in London. Arsenal clinched a spot in the Champions League, are on their way back up the Premier League ladder, and are already close to securing an impact signing in French defensive midfielder Yann M’Vila.
These are several positive factors pointing toward Van Persie staying with Arsenal, and this recent development is yet another one, no matter how small it might be.
Article source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1183326-arsenal-fc-robin-van-persies-eagerness-to-discuss-future-good-sign-for-gunners
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Article source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1182085-arsenal-fc-end-of-year-awards-for-arsene-wengers-gunners
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Article source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1181115-arsenal-fc-top-5-gunners-this-season
If Arsenal thought there was a lot at stake when they took the pitch against West Brom on Sunday afternoon, it’s nothing compared to what rests on the outcome of the coming weeks.
While fans of the club will rightly bask in the glow of third place and a guaranteed Champions League spot, it’s time to address the future of Robin van Persie, and Arsenal cannot slip up when it comes to their captain.
Throughout the season, when it seemed like all was lost, it was Van Persie who put the club on his back. The Dutch striker was the heart and soul of the Gunners, as he dragged his teammates to victory after victory with his dynamic performances.
Arsenal’s talisman notched 30 of the Gunners’ 74 goals (a whopping 40.5 percent) in 2011-12, and helped ensure that Arsene Wenger and company would continue to feature in the Champions League.
Van Persie has a year left on his contract, and with Euro 2012 looming on the horizon, club and player will sit down in the near future to talk about his future at the Emirates, a conversation that will determine a lot about Arsenal’s intentions as a club.
Per BBC Sport:
“We will have a chat next week somewhere with the boss [Wenger] and Ivan Gazidis,” Van Persie said.
When asked if his future will be sorted out quickly one way or another, he said: “You never know but Arsenal is a massive club, a great club.
“I have been playing here for eight years and I love this club. Whatever happens that will never change.”
Much will be made of these comments, but the truth is that Arsenal has to prove their intent to ensure that Van Persie will continue to captain the Gunners into the future. Obtaining the signature of Lukas Podolski was a good start, but it’s only a drop in the bucket if the club is going to return to the heights they once reached.
Wenger must toss aside his antiquated wage structure and offer his star player a contract worthy of his immense talent and stature. Now is not the time to haggle with someone that means so much in terms of keeping Arsenal competitive.
Not only that, but it’s time to cut the dead weight that has long sat on the bench and free up space for smart, aggressive transfer business. Players like Marouane Chamakh need to go, and viable replacements need to be brought in to solidify the roster.
This is easier said than done, but has to happen to make the Gunners the competitive force they once were. For far too long, the club has been linked to top talent, only to watch it sign elsewhere. The days of haggling for signatures needs to end, and Wenger needs to put money into the transfer market to give Arsenal the depth and attacking venom they sorely lacked this season.
Van Persie means many things to fans of the club, and to see him go elsewhere a year after Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri walked out the door would be a hammer blow to the hearts and minds of Gooners everywhere.
This is Arsenal’s fight to lose, and if they fail to put their money where their mouth is, they deserve to watch Van Persie tally goal after goal in another shirt next season.
Article source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1137062-arsenal-fc-coming-weeks-are-make-or-break-for-triumphant-gunners
