Robin Van Persie said he will not sign a new contract at Arsenal
Thursday July 5,2012
The Dutch striker dropped the bombshell with an
announcement on his website yesterday, saying he did not feel he could
win the trophies he craves with Arsenal.
He
added, with a further twist, that after his meeting in May with manager
Arsene Wenger and chief executive Ivan Gazidis, he could not agree with
them about the direction the club is heading.
Robin Van Persie is a target for the Manchester clubs
Van Persie, 28, said his motivation is winning trophies rather than money.
The striker, who scored 37 goals for Arsenal last season, said in his statement: “I’ve thought long and hard about it but I have decided not to extend my contract.”
We are planning with ambition and confidence for next season with Arsenal’s best interests in mind
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A statement
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Arsenal
responded last night, issuing a statement in which they indicated they
want to keep Van Persie at the club for the final year of his contract.
The
statement said: “We have to respect Robin’s decision not to renew his
contract. Robin has one year to run on his current contract and we are
confident that he will fulfil his commitments to the club.
“We are planning with ambition and confidence for next season with Arsenal’s best interests in mind.”
Arsenal
are keen to avoid the saga of last summer when they tried to hold on to
Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri, only to lose them both.