RVP: never left, signs AFC contract, signs for Juve, is crocked, is old, goes to Manchester « Untold Arsenal: Arsenal News, supporting the club, the players and the manager

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By Tony Attwood

Would you believe it?  For weeks the papers have been telling us that Arsenal is more or less doomed as RVP is leaving.  He is, in that quaint tabloid phrase, “want away Robin”.

I got rather fed up with this, and so the other day did a piece about how the Guardian in particular among the up-market press had gone on all out attack (not to mention an overload of “high alert”).   Three articles in a row from what used to be my favourite paper, each telling us how Arsenal were doomed (“doomed, doomed we’re all doomed” they said, or was that Dad’s Army?).  A bit much I thought.

And then, would you believe it (as I just said).  First off the Daily Mail followed Anne’s story about the dubious nature of RVP’s web site and some inconsistencies in what happened.  The Mail didn’t go into details but suggested that RVP’s agent was getting a bit ahead of himself and that RVP is going to stay at Arsenal.   Being the Mail they couldn’t give Arsenal any rights to originality so they wrapped the story in a RVP is “considering doing a Rooney”.

Now we have the Telegraph and the Independent (both towards the more serious end of the newspaper world in England) changing their tune.   Could they have read Untold?  Well, probably not.  We have a lot of readers these days and although I have got excited when Mr Wenger quoted us (twice) I think claiming to be influencing the thinking of the monoliths that are our newspapers, is pushing it.

But still, it is interesting.  Here is the Independent’s take on Robin.   He is leaving, and Arsenal will get between £20m and £25m.  Van Persie wants a five-year contract worth in total £30m.  That’s £120,000 a week to the likes of you and me; the regular folk who get amazed if we actually get paid each month.

Then the paper goes on to mention that his preferred option is Juve who, they remind us “are still recovering financially from their demotion to Serie B after the 2006 calciopoli scandal, and posted losses in their last published accounts of £75m for the 2010-11 season.”

I wonder if they got the emails that I got, telling me I knew nothing of Italian football when I elaborated on the same theme in my piece – oh yes, including those comments to the effect that Juve were innocent and it was a conspiracy by Inter to get Juve relegated.   A nice clean league.

But then, and this is the bit that distances themselves from the AAA supporting Guardian – the Inde tells us Robin is 29 years old, with a “less-than-perfect injury record”.     So having been the ultimate marquee player, as Mr Usmanov likes to let everyone know (and as most papers went along with because he really does have an excellent publicity machine), maybe Robin’s not really worth the fuss.

Then (and the change around is not over yet) along trots the Daily Telegraph who report that RVP and Arsène Wenger have had an “encounter”.   What, we wonder, would they make of the disagreement “in many aspects … on the way Arsenal should move forward”.

They too then put in the journalistic boot.  From being the player that everyone wants, the player that puts clubs on “high alert” in the Guardian’s funny phrase, the Telegraph says, “City appear to be the only club with the means to pay a massive fee and salary for a player with a questionable fitness record who turns 29 next month but there remain obstacles even for them. Their ranks are bloated with expensively paid strikers and they must sell some of them before they can consider a move for Van Persie, which will not be easy.”

And they also play the “Rooney” card saying “Wenger continues to hope that Van Persie can be persuaded to change his mind or that, if City cannot make the deal happen, the player will refocus for the coming season at Arsenal.”

The fact is that if it is true, and of course we don’t know, that RVP wants £30 million over the next five years, then there is no way Arsenal will sign him, and I have to say, no way at all that I, as a season ticket holder, want Arsenal to sign him.  I would sooner have that money spent elsewhere – not least because, although RVP was superb last season, that was just one season.  A dodgy ankle tap next time he plays for the Netherlands (which apparently he still insists on doing) could have him out for half a season again.   £30m for a player who for 80% of the time will be over 30, and who for 50% of the time might well be injured?   No, not for me.

So, is there anything else to turn to?   Apparently those jibbering monkeys on Talk Sprot tell us that Benik Afove is going out on loan – which I think most of us thought was a fair old possibility.  Birmingham, who have severe financial problems of their own, might be the location.   Benik is 19, and looks to be one of the most likely of the current superb crop of young players to make it to the first team.