Robin van Persie will not sign new Arsenal contract

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Robin van Persie looks on

Arsenal striker Robin van Persie has announced that he will not be signing a new deal at the club.

The 28-year-old, who has a year left on his current contract, confirmed he had met with manager Arsene Wenger and chief executive Ivan Gazidis.

But he revealed that they disagree on the way the club should move forward.

"I've thought long and hard about it, but I have decided not to extend my contract," the Dutchman, at the club since 2004, wrote on his website.

It is not yet clear whether Van Persie, who scored 41 goals in 53 games for club and country and was named both the Professional Footballers' Association and Football Writers' player of the year last season, will see out the remainder of his contract or seek a move away from the Emirates.

Arsenal responded with a statement of their own,external-link which read: "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."

The Gunners do not want a repeat of last summer, when Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri were sold after the campaign had started.

The Netherlands international added in his statement that there would be further meetings once Gazidis returns from a two-week holiday in the United States and that he would provide updates "if and when there are more developments".

Referring to his meeting - on 16 May - with Wenger and Gazidis, Van Persie said: "This was a meeting about the club's future strategy and their policy. Financial terms or a contract have not been discussed, since that is not my priority at all.

"I personally have had a great season but my goal has been to win trophies with the team and to bring the club back to its glory days.

"Out of my huge respect for Mr Wenger, the players and the fans I don't want to go into any details, but unfortunately in this meeting it has again become clear to me that we in many aspects disagree on the way Arsenal FC should move forward."

On Tuesday, Wenger wrote in his Eurosport column:external-link "We want to keep Robin van Persie at all costs, because we depend on him offensively. I have always supported him, even in the hardest times, and I hope he will end his career at Arsenal."

Van Persie, who joined from Feyenoord for £2.75m eight years ago, said his statement was a necessity because of the abundance of media speculation regarding his future.

"I love the club and the fans, no matter what happens," he added. "I have grown up and became a man during my time with Arsenal FC.

"Everybody at the club and the fans have always supported me over the years and I have always given my all on and off the pitch. I am very proud of being part of this fantastic club for the last eight years."

Arsenal have seen a number of their club captains leave over recent seasons, with Patrick Vieira (to Juventus), Thierry Henry and Fabregas (both to Barcelona) all departing.

The club have not won a trophy since beating Manchester United on penalties in the 2005 FA Cup final, the summer after which Vieira was sold.

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  • Comment posted by U14335165, at 19:43 4 Jul 2012

    I hope Arsenal fans don't come on here insulting Van Persie as a player because on his day he is as good as anyone. What I would say is that he has become, with this decision, truly ungrateful. he was a reject in Holland with people convinced he didn't have the attitude to succeed before Arsenal took a chance on him. He was injured almost every season and Arsenal stood by him.

  • Comment posted by Washingupdone, at 21:26 4 Jul 2012

    imagine sitting in that meeting as manager and CEO and having a player tell you how to run the club. Clubs have decades of history and a player has one good season and thinks he knows how to run the place. Sell him now.

  • Comment posted by U15036827, at 19:46 4 Jul 2012

    After 8 years, he finally had the season that Gunners knew he could produce. As the main man with everyone assisting him, then he did brilliantly.

    Unfortunately, there is no team in the Premier League or in Spain that can will win the title that will play him that much or focus their team around him.

    Good luck being a bit player player somewhere else.

  • Comment posted by oechoo, at 19:49 4 Jul 2012

    Good luck too Robin. Thanks for the 8 years.

    Looking like a fresh start for Arsenal this season. New faces & game plan compared to the years gone by.

    Arsenal prove time & time again that no one is bigger than the club. Lets see if we can really push further with these fresh look Arsenal.

    Now, time to shut up the haters by bringing home a trophy !

  • Comment posted by U15329534, at 21:46 4 Jul 2012

    The interest in all this is not how good Arsenal will be without Van Persie, but how good Van Persie will be without Arsenal. Every season bar the last he's looked like he was in the Euros: quick, good anticipation, thumping left foot, poor goal return. 'Expensive luxury' comes to mind. Plus, very few have left Wenger's teams and become better players, even if they do win silverware.

  • Comment posted by U15331545, at 20:14 4 Jul 2012

    After 1 season he decided he's leaving to a team 'To win stuff'. All these years we've had faith in him and kept him instead of just saying 'Right you're always injured' to be honest he could be without a team if Arsene let him go because nobody else would of wanted someone so injury prone. And he repays us by leaving after ONE FULL GOOD SEASON?! I feel as though i've been stabbed in the back.

  • Comment posted by Armchair Coach, at 21:58 4 Jul 2012

    As a Chelsea fan, schadenfreude is tempting ;). However, being objective, Arsenal will be better-off without van Persie. Giroud is one of the best buys Arsenal Football Club has made. Giroud and Podolki will set the Premier League alight, more than van Persie has done. Mark my words.

    Wingers in Chamberlain, Gervinho and Theo, combined with the two CF, are going to terrorize defenses. All the best

  • Comment posted by gerald, at 20:16 4 Jul 2012

    To be clear I'm not a Gunners fan,but much admire their brand of football !
    I think this can run & run,spend more V be conservative,and be ready for new European rules on debt levels etc .
    I'm a Man Utd fan,and realise it's easy to say having won trophies recently etc,but on balance I prefer Arsenal's financial model in all areas,and believe when Arsene Wenger leaves he will be hard to replace

  • Comment posted by RayElfman, at 22:11 4 Jul 2012

    I am not an Arsenal fan, but the Tottenham fans comments riddiculing their better neighbours are a bit much for a team that hardly ever gets in the Champions League. In fact, it was only a few years back that a squirrel had spent longer on the pitch in a Champions League game than Tottenham in their whole history.

  • Comment posted by John Lawrence, at 21:39 4 Jul 2012

    Seeing how van Persie floundered for Netherlands at Euro 2012, I seriously wonder if he will get the service he vitally needs at another club since Arsenal seems to be built around him

  • Comment posted by johnnying101, at 20:25 4 Jul 2012

    I feared for Arsenal last season after Nasri and Fabregas left... they finished 3rd higher than Spurs and Liverpool. Next season without RVP they will do even better!!

  • Comment posted by T Sharp, at 22:40 4 Jul 2012

    Over the last 8 years RVP has spent a large part of his time with Arsenal on the injured list and still had his salary paid by the club. Because of his history of injuries no other club would have touched him with a barge pole but after one decent season he suddenly thinks he is world class and too good for the club. Obviously loyalty is a dirty word in this day and age.

  • Comment posted by Andy, at 21:57 4 Jul 2012

    I'm sure if he was that concerned about the fortunes of Arsenal he'd have not waited until the eve of the new season to unleash this bombshell. Make no mistake, this is about one issue and that issue is RVP - his own self serving interests. Typical Premiership footballer.

  • Comment posted by skipiados, at 21:52 4 Jul 2012

    Football is not a sport anymore - it's a business and clubs are run as a business. As an Arsenal fan it's more important these days to the board that we are run as we are run - which means not spending beyond our means. If RVP wants to go it will be for the money whatever he says, it always is nowadays unfortunately, I mean would you turn down an extra 70k a week. I wouldn't turn down 70 quid

  • Comment posted by BodyInFlight, at 21:43 4 Jul 2012

    @Kennys_Heroes

    I think a player who was in and out of the physio's treatment room and ineffective when he did play for 6 years maybe should accredit some of the success to the manager who has kept faith with the player. Being brought up in London has nothing to do with how ones allegiances lie, the disrespectful nature in which RvP has announced this news shows his lack of tact.

  • Comment posted by U15324507, at 13:07 5 Jul 2012

    EVERYONE should know Persie saying Arsenal lack his own ambition is a smokescreen for his own GREED. He simply wants some of the cash that the ever popular Samir Nasri gets. Fans would have more respect if he came out and said "I'm a very greedy selfish footballer who just wants more money".

  • Comment posted by Complete and utter horse, at 11:42 5 Jul 2012

    Unsurprising, Arsenal are nothing like the force they once were. Fulham were a dodgy offside decision away from doing the double over them last year, and we're a mid table team.

    He could walk into any side on earth. Good luck to him, 8 years is unbelievable loyalty given the lack of success.

  • Comment posted by mak155hr, at 23:19 4 Jul 2012

    There are two ways to look at this. Van Persie is running for the money or Arsenal are just not in the game to win trophys but to make money.
    Either way, I would like Van Persie see out his contract and to heck with the money we lose. But, if he is going to sulk all year, sell him and bring in a defender and a midfielder BUT, do it now not the last day of the transfer window.

  • Comment posted by U14821630, at 22:45 4 Jul 2012

    Exactly same when Henry left - lack of commitment by board to strengthen squad into trophy winning team. Club (Gazidis) priority isn't Trophies but profit, while Wenger's philosophy is to 'Improve' players instead of getting game winners. No point developing players to watch them go when the hit their peak because you don't have the Push or Backing to win titles. Thanks RVP for getting us to CL

  • Comment posted by A_FORCE_ONE, at 22:44 4 Jul 2012

    Please just go and stop insulting our intelligence. Arsenal has just signed two internationals, brought in Steve Bould , Banfield and others to sort out the defence, still in the market looking for players, what more do you want ?If Van Persie wanted to stay , he would have signed last season when he was asked to.
    7 years in a row ,he's been injured playing for Holland.Time to get ruthless Wenger.

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