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Arsenal have become a selling club - Edwin Van der Sar

By Mani DjazmiBBC Sport

Last updated on .From the section Footballcomments340

Edwin van der Sar & Robin van Persie

Former Manchester United goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar believes Arsenal have become a club that nurtures players for bigger sides.

He said the Gunners have a similar philosophy to Dutch side Ajax, where he is now sporting director.

Van der Sar also told the BBC's World Football programme that he encouraged compatriot Robin van Persie to move to United from Arsenal in the summer.

"I'm not surprised that he went there," said Van de Sar, 42.

"It's a club used to winning titles and the last eight years Robin hasn't won that much at Arsenal."

Van der Sar said Van Persie's departure from Arsenal, together with those of Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri before him, means that the Gunners now fulfil the role of developing talent from which others benefit.

"I love the style of football and even the philosophy of Wenger with the young players," he said.

"We've got a similar feeling at Ajax. We want to educate them in a certain way to learn how to play good football and attacking football.

"At a certain time in their career, they want to look somewhere else. They need to go abroad to a bigger league.

"This has happened at Arsenal also over the last couple of years. A lot of players went and became even bigger players at other clubs."

Van der Sar, who played 186 times for Sir Alex Ferguson during those six years and won the league four times and Champions League once, has rejoined some of his former team-mates at Ajax.

Mark Overmars and Dennis Bergkamp are both coaches, while Frank de Boer has won back-to-back Dutch titles as manager.

Van Persie is enjoying his time at United

All three, as well as Patrick Kluivert, Clarence Seedorf and Van der Sar himself, went on to glittering careers at Europe's biggest clubs.

Ajax's 20-year-old Danish playmaker, Christian Eriksen, is anticipated to be the next starlet to tread that path.

Van der Sar added that he had a "good chat" with Van Persie, 29, before his £24m move in August. The striker has since score 19 goals for the Premier League leaders.

"For Robin, at this age to leave Arsenal was a big decision for him and it's working out perfectly for United," he said. "It's a stable club, a great set of fans, the dressing room is a close-knit community."

World Football brings listeners up to date with the issues, stories and passion behind the world's most popular sport every Friday on the BBC World Service. You can download the podcast here.

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340 comments

  • Comment posted by shaunmufc, at 14:43 4 Jan 2013

    Tomorrow's headline: Messi is a good player - Van der Sar

  • Comment posted by User0676247209, at 15:47 4 Jan 2013

    BBC, please can you point to me where Van Der Sar says Arsenal are a selling club? Oh, you can't because he didn't say it and you're trying to make a big story out of nothing?

    Your 'journalism' is turning more and more into the Sun and Mirror every time I read it.......

  • Comment posted by User0023787314, at 16:46 4 Jan 2013

    If RVP hadn't been iunjured for half of every season for the last 8 bar one maybe he'd have won something at Arsenal. One decent season and he leaves to chase the big bucks. Guess we're crazy to expect him to repay the loyalty shown whilst he was injured.

  • Comment posted by User0704035801, at 17:41 4 Jan 2013

    Arsenal may be a selling club but only because of the silly money going around football these days. When Man Utd were the only rich team we still managed to win the Prem and FA Cup a few times. But then came the spending power of another team, Chelsea, and then another team, Man City. So now we find ourselves as the 4th best team in the country. Hardly Arsenal or Arsene's fault....

  • Comment posted by tommybrusher, at 17:06 4 Jan 2013

    I would love to see the transcript of this conversation. Did VDS go off on a tangent and start talking abut Arsenal or did the reporter go in with this headline already written?

  • Comment posted by charlessy, at 16:29 4 Jan 2013

    I don't think he is really in any position to discuss Arsenal

  • Comment posted by User0301934472, at 17:27 4 Jan 2013

    To BCC: I follow BBC for all the news stories. Please don't lose your credibility. Where has he mentioned that Arsenal is a selling club?

  • Comment posted by User0671922069, at 16:54 4 Jan 2013

    Arsenal are an example of a company run well.

    In order to win trophies, these days, you have to spend vastly more monies than you can ever hope to get from prize-money. Which really is very bad business.

    Absolutely never understood how manchester united are in debt. Biggest fan base in the world, graft that onto Arsenal's business model and they'd need no rich uncles like other clubs use to win.

  • Comment posted by jamdoonsouth, at 17:51 4 Jan 2013

    @99. centuryng-73
    utd are not in debt, the glazers are.

    Not quite true that. Glazers aren't in debt, the holding company set up to buy Man U with the cash raised against the value of the club are in debt.
    If the debts aren't serviced or paid, then it is the company assets which need to cover the debts.
    That company assets? Man U, Old Trafford, Players.
    Glazers doing well tho & covering debt

  • Comment posted by User0777303801, at 15:36 4 Jan 2013

    Its true though, they are a selling club. They take players from a young age, develop them, and they are then sold for millions. Repeat and recycle until shareholders are satisfied

  • Comment posted by private eye, at 20:11 4 Jan 2013

    Only the intellectually inept could really take Fergusons ventriloquist's dummies remarks seriously. When Murdoch's goose that has laid the golden goose for the past decade goes belly up, then so will all the big time Charlie clubs that have flourished in the greed is good premiership. Arsenal will still be a big club, and their only problem will be finding credible opposition to play every week.

  • Comment posted by Bendtner_52, at 15:15 4 Jan 2013

    There are two factors in play in every transfer, 1) every player has their price and 2) the player has a desire to leave. At Ajax players know of they do well they'll be sold on for financial reasons. At Arsenal, we've had a lot of players force moves, not always for footballing reasons. A subtle difference, but a difference nonetheless.

  • Comment posted by Chris1566, at 16:40 4 Jan 2013

    @65 Didn't Liverpool win the League Cup just last year?

  • Comment posted by Col, at 14:07 5 Jan 2013

    @ chelskikovites - As an Arsenal fan of course I am bothered about not winning trophies - but if they never win another trophy in my lifetime I will still be an Arsenal fan. Equally, if Chelsea (or anyone else) win the PL and CL every year for the rest of my life I would not support them. Obviously glory hunters will find this hard to comprehend.

  • Comment posted by RobNox, at 19:18 4 Jan 2013

    Laughing at all the posts about typical Dutch arrogance.

    What strikes me about this article is the number of world class former Ajax players who are currently back at the club in a coaching capacity.

    You don't see that happening in England, maybe if it did you'd see an even better quality of young player coming through the ranks.

  • Comment posted by david, at 17:53 4 Jan 2013

    football is'nt a sport, its a business. people dont invest in clubs for the fans sake. they only invest to make a profit. they dont care what the results are because they know the fans will still go to games, the only way is to vote with your feet and not go, or otherwise dont moan.

  • Comment posted by User0452243000, at 22:25 4 Jan 2013

    @215 Smudger

    Good one, I haven't heard such a cracker as that one in years. My sides are splitting, no seriously, they actually are.

  • Comment posted by User0671922069, at 17:49 4 Jan 2013

    http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2012/may/23/premier-league-accounts-profit-debt

    .. for redhsirt7, so he can read about his own clubs' details.

    It's TheGuardian, but the figures are official, which you can also check.

  • Comment posted by User0239053806, at 16:38 4 Jan 2013

    @27 You'll never get a job writing headlines. 'Loses' not 'looses.

  • Comment posted by Chelsea1, at 22:32 4 Jan 2013

    @211

    I have no second club and any club that wins at least a trophy a season can't be that terrible!! Anyway, I'll leave now so you can enjoy reading what Van Der Sar has to say. Very similar to Andy Cole saying rubbish about the players Chelsea should sign!!!

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