Where next for Arsenal striker Robin van Persie?

The Premier League golden boot winner has a very important decision to make over the next couple of weeks; where his future lies.

Of course Arsenal fans will hope it’s with them; this is where Arsene Wenger comes into it. His powers of persuasion will have to be at their best to keep the Dutchman. If he in unsuccessful there is no escaping the fact that Wenger will have failed to get him to buy into his 'project'.

So he didn’t have a great time at the Euros but that won’t lower his price tag; £25-30 million is the suggestion and in today’s market bearing in mind his contract situation, it is about right.

The problem Arsenal have is just that - he has one more year left on his contract and if he stays without signing he could be off on a free and they lose not only a great player but a load of cash.

I really don’t think money is the real issue; he can afford to retire now if he so wished. I think Arsene has to convince him of Arsenal’s ambition for next season and the players they are going to get in.

Bringing in German international Lukas Podolski, 26, and French Ligue One top scorer Olivier Giroud, 25, will surely help.

The one thing the North London club have going for them is he may feel he owes them a degree of loyalty; he was signed by the Frenchman Wenger way back in 2004 and he’s had his fair share of injuries.

He was originally brought in as a replacement for another Dutch master; Dennis Bergkamp. He is currently the longest serving foreign player in the Premier League and I hope he stays. To me the league is the best in the world and if he moves to another country it will be a step down in my opinion.

Arsenal is not far away from being a very good side; the youth policy they have is only beaten by Manchester United. But Arsenal need to carry on spending money on proven players if they are to progress.

Since their 8-2 loss to United last August, Wenger has begun to grasp that - signing Mikel Arteta, Per Mertesacker, and Andre Santos plus the two recent summer signings. A couple more in the right areas, and keep Van Persie - and they might just crack it.

Van Persie himself scored more goals than many of the teams in the lower half of the table but still ended the season without a trophy.

That is what players want and that’s what Arsene Wenger and the Arsenal board need to convince RVP of; they last won silverware in 2005; a year after last season’s top scorer joined.

He will be 29 when the season kicks off. His time to win trophies is running out, and he knows the next contract he signs will be the most important of his career. A decision is due shortly, and football fans around the globe are on tenterhooks.

With Manchester City interested his big choice could just influence where the title ends up next season. Does the Dutchman take the 'easy' but unpopular route to success - or the popular but uphill task to finally win the big prizes?

What should Van Persie do - stay or go? 

image: © Ronnie Macdonald