TCIB
Well-Known Member
Re: RVP - City linked in the Times
Here you go chaps.
"Roberto Mancini has said that Manchester City may attempt to take advantage of the uncertainty surrounding Robin van Persie’s future by moving for the Arsenal striker this summer.
The Manchester City manager raised the prospect yesterday of the Barclays Premier League leaders raiding Arsenal for a fifth time in three years should Van Persie fail to agree a new contract at the Emirates Stadium.
Mancini, who claimed that Van Persie is as dangerous as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo on present form, added that he believed that Arsenal would have “a big problem” if they lose the Holland striker.
But while Mancini suggested that Arsène Wenger could face a fresh crisis if he lost Van Persie one year after the departures of Cesc Fàbregas and Samir Nasri, he expects the Arsenal manager to persuade the 28-year-old to remain in North London.
Van Persie, who has scored 32 goals this season, has put all talks about his future on hold until the summer, when he will enter the final 12 months of his existing deal, but Mancini appeared to signal that City will be waiting in the wings should negotiations break down. With Carlos Tévez expected to leave City during the close season, Mancini is in the market for a striker.
Mancini’s remarks are likely to infuriate Wenger, who has struggled to conceal his distaste at City’s spending or their £24 million capture of Nasri last summer, when the Frenchman became the fourth player — after Emmanuel Adebayor, Kolo Touré and Gaël Clichy — to leave Arsenal for the Manchester club since 2009.
“I think Robin van Persie will sign a new contract at Arsenal because if Arsenal also lose him, they will have a big problem,” Mancini said. “We are interested in all good players. I think all the good teams are interested in him.
“I think Van Persie at this moment is one of the best strikers in Europe with Messi, Ronaldo and with Sergio [Agüero] and Mario [Balotelli, the City forwards]. He is a fantastic striker, but I think he will remain with Arsenal.”
Asked why he felt that would be the case, Mancini, whose team face Sporting Lisbon in the first leg of their Europa League round-of-16 tie in Portugal tonight, said: “Because Arsenal in the summer will buy good players. They want to win the next Premier League. He is Arsenal’s best player at the moment and it is difficult for them to give him to another club. If there is a good player who wants to leave a club, we are interested. But if a player wants to stay, we don’t have any problem.”
City’s apparent interest in Van Persie will increase the pressure on Wenger to retain the forward after the manager’s hopes of ending a seven-year wait for a trophy at Arsenal were halted on Tuesday when they were knocked out of the Champions League by AC Milan. They also face a fight to finish in the top four after feeling the impact of the loss of Fàbregas, to Barcelona, and Nasri.
Mancini does not believe that Van Persie’s contractual status would significantly lessen his value. “I don’t think he will be cheap just because he has one year left on his contract,” he said.
"
Here you go chaps.
"Roberto Mancini has said that Manchester City may attempt to take advantage of the uncertainty surrounding Robin van Persie’s future by moving for the Arsenal striker this summer.
The Manchester City manager raised the prospect yesterday of the Barclays Premier League leaders raiding Arsenal for a fifth time in three years should Van Persie fail to agree a new contract at the Emirates Stadium.
Mancini, who claimed that Van Persie is as dangerous as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo on present form, added that he believed that Arsenal would have “a big problem” if they lose the Holland striker.
But while Mancini suggested that Arsène Wenger could face a fresh crisis if he lost Van Persie one year after the departures of Cesc Fàbregas and Samir Nasri, he expects the Arsenal manager to persuade the 28-year-old to remain in North London.
Van Persie, who has scored 32 goals this season, has put all talks about his future on hold until the summer, when he will enter the final 12 months of his existing deal, but Mancini appeared to signal that City will be waiting in the wings should negotiations break down. With Carlos Tévez expected to leave City during the close season, Mancini is in the market for a striker.
Mancini’s remarks are likely to infuriate Wenger, who has struggled to conceal his distaste at City’s spending or their £24 million capture of Nasri last summer, when the Frenchman became the fourth player — after Emmanuel Adebayor, Kolo Touré and Gaël Clichy — to leave Arsenal for the Manchester club since 2009.
“I think Robin van Persie will sign a new contract at Arsenal because if Arsenal also lose him, they will have a big problem,” Mancini said. “We are interested in all good players. I think all the good teams are interested in him.
“I think Van Persie at this moment is one of the best strikers in Europe with Messi, Ronaldo and with Sergio [Agüero] and Mario [Balotelli, the City forwards]. He is a fantastic striker, but I think he will remain with Arsenal.”
Asked why he felt that would be the case, Mancini, whose team face Sporting Lisbon in the first leg of their Europa League round-of-16 tie in Portugal tonight, said: “Because Arsenal in the summer will buy good players. They want to win the next Premier League. He is Arsenal’s best player at the moment and it is difficult for them to give him to another club. If there is a good player who wants to leave a club, we are interested. But if a player wants to stay, we don’t have any problem.”
City’s apparent interest in Van Persie will increase the pressure on Wenger to retain the forward after the manager’s hopes of ending a seven-year wait for a trophy at Arsenal were halted on Tuesday when they were knocked out of the Champions League by AC Milan. They also face a fight to finish in the top four after feeling the impact of the loss of Fàbregas, to Barcelona, and Nasri.
Mancini does not believe that Van Persie’s contractual status would significantly lessen his value. “I don’t think he will be cheap just because he has one year left on his contract,” he said.
"
