Is Van Persie 'doing a Rooney' and could he stay at Arsenal?

Arsenal are taking a tough stance publicly on Robin Van Persie, issuing a statement last night indicating they do not want to sell.

"Robin has one year to run on his current contract and we are confident he will fulfill his commitments to the club." 

Many argue the shrewd move for Arsenal to make here, is to sell quickly.

Moving the Dutchman on now would allow them plenty of time to sign a replacement - Fernando Llorente is one name touted, but the club would have to act quickly.

Arsenal do not want to get into a situation where they dig their heels in as they did with Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri last summer, and then caving in late in the day.

It unsettled the squad, and they were left to scratch around for deals on deadline day to find replacements.

If Arsenal are clear about keeping the Dutchman for the final year of his contract, they must be absolutely sure they will see their intentions through.

Should it get to September 1 and Van Persie is still at Arsenal, they have a whole season to attempt to convince him to stay.

Van Persie will be 29 when the season starts, and cannot afford to waste a year at his peak in the reserves, or going on strike, so will have to continue to give his all for Arsenal.

With Giroud and Podolski in support, he might just realise the club's ambition is not so bad, and re-assess his decision.

Players flip-flopping and changing their minds would not be a new phenomenon.

Cast your mind back to October 2010, when Manchester United's number 10 Wayne Rooney announced he was keen to leave the club.

He too issued his own statement, remarkably similar to Van Persie, questioning the club's ambition.

Sir Alex Ferguson hit back with a strong response, and Rooney changed his mind. He has been at United ever since. Arsenal fans will be looking to Arsene Wenger to show the same leadership and try to cajole his captain into staying.

Carlos Tevez is another - more complicated example. Shortly after Rooney's moment in 2010, Tevez handed City his own transfer request. Two months later he announced he was to stay, and that season lifted aloft the FA Cup.

This season has been a complex one, but he ended it the way he started it, as a Manchester City player.

Even a look to Norwich City and star striker Grant Holt could give Gunners hope. The striker declared he wanted to leave, submitted a transfer request, and this week announced he was staying - saying he was 'haggling' all along.

Is Van Persie haggling? We doubt it, he has said money is not his driving force - and unsettling the millions of Arsenal fans around the globe is not a decision he will have taken lightly.

What Arsenal need to do is make a decision and stick to it. They appear already to be denying Van Persie the opportunity to leave this summer, so they must stick to that plan, and carry on assembling their team for next season.

Get to September and he may change his mind during the course of the season. Rooney looked to be at the point of no return, yet the situation was resolved.

Buckle in mid-August as they did last summer, and another trophyless season and year of transition beckons.

image: © Ronnie Macdonald