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Arsenal heading for a new deal with Van
Persie
Steve Stammers
Sunday
Mirror
Monday 22 September 2008
Robin Van Persie will be offered
a new contract aimed at keeping him at Arsenal for the
next five years.
The Holland international has just two years left on
his current deal and the Gunners are determined to seal
his long-term future rather than leave him with just
12 months left on his deal at the end of the season.
And it seems agreement is close.
Van Persie, 25, is advised by his father Rob and a
lawyer and they have been negotiating with manager Arsene
Wenger.
And Arsenal chairman Peter Hill-Wood believes the escalating
wage bill at The Emirates proves that the club are willing
to pay top dollar to keep their best players.
Financial results for the year ending May 31 show Arsenal
paid out more than £100m in salaries for Wenger,
his coaching staff and the players - an increase of
more than £10m on the previous year.
It has long been thought that a strict wage structure
at Arsenal has prevented them from attracting the stars
and cost them the services of the likes of Alexander
Hleb and Mathieu Flamini.
But Hill-Wood insisted: "If you look at the figures
that just isn't true. Chelsea have a much bigger wage
bill but we are on a par with Manchester United. We
are not that mean."
And he made it clear that with
their sound financial footing, Arsenal are determined
to hang on to prize assets such as Van Persie, Cesc
Fabregas and new England hero Theo Walcott.
"We are able to resist any offers," said
Hill-Wood. "For us to sell our best players doesn't
make any financial sense to us. If someone gives us
£100m for a player we immediately lose 40 per
cent of that in tax. Then what do you do with the £60m
that's left? I would rather have two good players already
at the club. We will resist any approaches for our star
players."
Arsenal will pursue their policy of keeping their club
in the same ownership. The appointment of American Stan
Kroenke to the board should give them the power base
to see off the threat of wealthy Uzbek Alisher Usmanov.
And in a parting shot at former vice-chairman David
Dein, Hill-Wood said: "I am not sad he left. He
didn't do quite as much as he made out.
"He has the impression he was the only person
running the place.
He has good qualities and he did some good things but
we haven't really missed him."
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