The striker has refused to commit to a new contract, also alerting Real Madrid, AC Milan, Inter Milan, and of course Manchester City.
Robin Van Persie is the cornerstone of Arsenal’s future ambition. With the club dealing with the outgoings of Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri in the summer the small crumb of comfort for Gunners fans was, “At least we have Van Persie.”
All that could be about to change.
The Dutchman finished last season in sensational form, the model of consistency, and it was overdue. Mention his name to Gooners last December and you would be met with a look of exasperation after an injury plagued 18 months.
Despite his season effectively starting in January he scored 18 goals, two behind Tevez and Berbatov who shared the Golden Boot.
Now there is mass anxiety at the Emirates over his future, if he wants out, Arsenal will not be able to match the wages offered by bigger clubs.
Arsenal have started the season poorly, and face a huge challenge to finish in the top four, meaning no Champions League football next season if they fail.
Why would Van Persie choose to stick around?
He has scored 100 goals for Arsenal, so he could choose to be loyal, but does he want to win trophies?
This is where Barcelona come in.
The Catalans have assembled a dream team, but manager Pep Guardiola likes to revolve his squad each season and mix things up.
He will be aware Barcelona need another top striker, David Villa will be 30 next year, with Van Persie, 14 months younger, an ideal man to keep him on his toes.
Van Persie’s mobility, commitment and speed of thought will see him settle in far easier than Ibrahimovich did, and the signing would be a match made in heaven.
Imagine how many goals the Dutchman would score at Barcelona.
Van Persie hit a superb goal against Barcelona last season leaving them in no doubt of his talents, he has also scored at World Cups and European Championships and is proven quality.
For the player, linking up with former colleague Cesc Fabregas would be perfect, which the Barcelona hierarchy will no doubt be considering.
The move will happen, only if the player decides he wants to force it through.
But for Van Persie, in his prime, if Arsenal do not finish in the top four, he may be left with little option.
There will be other clubs in for his signature, if there is a bidding war next summer, Man City will join the fray, but would face an uphill task in persuading the Dutchman. If he wants a different challenge, then Real Madrid, and the chance to usurp Barcelona’s dominance may appeal.
As for Arsenal, they will be left licking their wounds and picking up the pieces, trying to work out where it all went wrong, and once again starting from scratch.
What do you think the future holds for Arsenal and Van Persie?
Image: © Ronnie Macdonald
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