According to Thursday's Sun, Manchester United are eyeing up a bid for Robin Van Persie. If he does move to Old Trafford, Arsenal fans might as well give up and go home.
After four years without a trophy, the club have undeniably slipped off the pace and - unless something spectacular happens this summer - look more in danger of falling out of the Top Four than advancing through it.
Janine Self, writer of the story, quotes 'A Dutch Source' as saying that: "Robin loves it at Arsenal but he is getting to the age when he wants to win things. He knows that there are clubs interested in him and is waiting to see what happens."
Let's assume, just for a bit of fun, that Janine and Robin both are on the up-and-up. What are Van Persie's chances of winning something at Arsenal?
The League seems highly unlikely and, while Arsenal will not be without a chance in next year's Champions League, their general odds of about 16-1 sound about right to me.
Van Persie is making the traditional noises about his current team "showing ambition", but again, Arsenal's biggest concern this summer may be holding onto the players they do have rather than acquiring new ones. Emmanuel Adebayor, Cesc Fabregas and Gael Clichy are all the subject of current (or indeed fricking constant) transfer speculation.
None of Arsenal's Big Four rivals have to put up with their best three or four players being constantly hawked about in the press. Arsenal fans will no doubt say that the Janine Selfs of this world make it all up, but they're not making it up about as many Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea players, are they?
If Arsenal were to lose another one of their top players, would they really be that much better than Everton or Aston Villa? With Manchester City also gathering pace and even, stop laughing at the back, Tottenham enjoying a period of relative stability, is Champions League qualification next season a given? God knows how the finances would hold up without that previously all-but-certain cash injection.
Van Persie, injury-prone though he may be, is a big talent - but he is hardly Fernando Torres. If Arsenal cannot hold onto a player of the Dutchman's level, that speaks pretty damningly of the club.
Arsène Wenger has been a brilliant spotter and developer of young talent, but his record with more established players who can make an immediate impact has been more modest. He needs to make a big summer signing, ideally a defensive central midfield foil for Fabregas, who can come in and lift the team right away. And he needs to large it up a bit and let his players know that The Emirates is still a place to be in the prime of a career, not just a training academy and a springboard to bigger paydays.
Likewise, his board - who have become spoiled by their manager's gift for picking up youngsters cheap and turning them into transfer profits - need to spend some proper money in the here and now. Planning for the future is great, but Arsenal need to take care of the present as well.
Alan Tyers
RVP Link Shows Arsenal At Crossroads
Now let's hear what you've got to say about this item... or anything else happening in the world of football. Send in your opinions, rants, praise or abuse to: theeditor@football365.com
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Your Comments
TheFootballGuru
"I feel alot of the more negative comments about Arsenal and their current and furture position in the league tend not to cover the real issues that Wenger and the team have fallen down on and therefore I think the general comments are off target.
Arsenals two main problems are...
Injury prone players and not a like for like replacement for key positions, this can leave us frail especially in defense, when we lost Gallas, Djerou, Cliche and others this season it had a big impact and often we would dominate and then concede a cheap goal against the role of play and then have to chase the game against a team laid out very defensivley. Not ideal.
Spending power - Either by policy or by lack of funds Arsenal do not grow their team with huge cash spending, all our competitors regularly spend BIG MONEY and this is not something I expect to see change.
After our last imperious era we have been on a rebuild and the job is not quite complete, this is the way a team has to be built and this does make us similar to other non-big spending clubs in the league, it takes time and although all Arsenal fans want success we also know that in truth WEnger is doing a good job. Nobody seems to report this and often we are compared to teams like CHelsea, Man U and Liverpool when we are in fact very different in design.
I personally don't like the big spending that is going on it is making every league more and more uncompetative and unrealistic, it is getting to a point where I think the big clubs will break away to form their own superleague full of all the stars and with their own competitions. This is a sport and some of the ways clubs operate in the transfer market is unsporting, we should not forget this...it is important. There are more than just Arsenal fans who are starting to believe that a team built like the gunners must win something for the sake of the game! "
MoonMunky
"Tailgunner: Arshavin has been ace, that point has to be conceded. But Vermaelen? I mean, don't get me wrong, he is a good player. But what of the his slightly-under-what-was-promised height? Should have gone for Bordeaux defender Planus. He's french, so Arsene automatically loves him. Tall, and a strong leader.
As for winning the league? Sorry boss, but not a chance. It is completely true what Alan has said, If you got rid of, say, Van Persie. Or Fabregas. Do you think your team are really that much better than Everton (The hardest working team in the country, in my opinion) or Tottenam? Man City will be better than Arsenal next season, without a doubt. Tottenham will edge closer, you know Redknapp has got a plan and hasn't even given a thought to being forgotten for a European spot next year. Villa blew it this year though, now Barry has gone they have a massive void to fill. Arsenal should have snapped him up, regardless of how much they may have had to pay.
Personally, I think the top 3 are fixed. But 4th-7th? They are up for grabs to loads of teams now. Arsenal, as well as the other teams mentioned, along with Fulham (Who doesn't love Hodgeson?) and West Ham will battle their hardest for those spots next year. The gunners will struggle to get 5th. Sorry. Not having a go, it's just the truth.
As for steve290682's comment: We may have a lot of older players at Chelsea, and could do with a few young 'uns, but what they bring is experience. Something the Gunners, sadly, lack.
I love Wenger, and hate seeing him stressed because he is an amazing manager. But if he thinks this season was tough, then he is in for a shock next year."
steve290682
"Another day and liverpool dont have to have their players touted about in the papers as wanting to leave aye right. This story is complete rubbish i dont know why the papers and all the pundits hate us so much. We have a good team which i think will not be far off winning something next season and with a good dm bought i think we will be proving alot of people wrong. Utd whatever anyone says will be alot weaker next season without ronaldo. Chelsea have alot of old players coming to the end of there careers and liverpool dont have a clue how to win the league. I think we are gonna have a good season"
Tailgunner
"Winning the league highly unlikely for Arsenal? On what basis is that statement made? Arsenal already have massive reinforcements in the likes of Arshavin (who only played half of last season) and Vermaelen. Rosicky will also be coming back. And more, and more......."
goon
"nasri and arshavin were two of the best signings in the league last year. rvp had a good season but other big players (cesc, ade, theo) caught his bad luck with injury. how can the team with the longest unbeaten run in the league this year not stand a chance of winning it next year? i agree i would like to see a ball winner in the centre of the park and a giant at CB but djourou and song are nearly there and i think arsene has a few more signings up sleeve. lets not worry about the team who might lose one of their stars, what about the team who just lost 2 of theirs?"
Cesc_Bomb
"shiftyboy - If Van Persie wants to leave then let him. We've waited about 3 years for him to have a season where he hasn't been constantly injured. Ade can do one as well if he doesn't like the club. I'd be perfectly happy to see Eduardo and Bendtner as our 1st two strikers. Two players who work well together, give everything and want to be at the club."
shiftyboy
"Van Persie has constantly complained about what he perceives to be Arsenal's lack of ambition. Wenger's dealings in the transfer market over the past 5 years has been fairly dismal. It very much looks as if Vermaelen's arrival could spell the departure of either Toure or Gallas, Adebayor looks a cert to move on, if we lose Van Persie as well we will have little chance of making the CL next season, attendances will fall and the club will become also rans. Wenger must act."
mampers
"Mr Tyers would you care to respond to these comments made about your article? Given the 'Benitez fears Torres and Mascherano exit' headlines flying around today, and their heavy debt and unsure future about ownership and stadium, surely this article would have been more fittingly written about Liverpool? Are they not 'at a crossroads'? If Torres does leave should Liverpool fans 'give up and go home'?"
smacey
"2 years ago Arsenal were 6 points from top after being in the top two for the majority of the season. If Liverpool finish fourth next year would the same article be written about them?"
yegway
"Cesc bomb I see TV as back up until next year when Gallas leaves he's got to adjust to the league. He is definitely a future starter just not this year. You can't really expect him to go from the Dutch league and start right away. I still expect us to sign a tall defender. That said Johann is not as bad as everyone thinks he just needs some more time to develop."
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