Arsenal skipper Van Persie is Man City target

Manchester City are planning another raid on Arsenal to lure skipper Robin van Persie as a replacement for disgraced striker Carlos Tevez, according to several British newspaper reports.

City manager Roberto Mancini has insisted Tevez is "finished" with the club, after claiming the Argentine rebel refused to come on as a substitute in Tuesday’s 2-0 defeat to Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League.
 
Tevez was been handed a two-week suspension as a result while the club’s legal department is assessing possible sanctions they can impose on the temperamental striker, with a contract termination yet to be ruled out.
 
Mancini has identified Van Persie as the perfect addition to his attacking ranks.
 
Arsenal’s Dutch talisman has hit a purple patch recently, netting a brace in last weekend’s 3-0 win over Bolton scoring his 100th goal for the Gunners and many pundits believe City have now firmly set their sights on him.
 
It has been fuelled by reports that Van Persie’s was not ready to enter extension talks just yet on his contract which is set to expire in 2013.
 
“I still have almost two years left here, so for the moment that’s fine. But I don’t know, we will have to look,” said the gifted playmaker who has been depressed by the departures of Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri during the close season.
 
“I’m happy with my contract, I’m good. That’s how it is, I can’t say much more. I can’t look into the future,” he said coyly when asked about his future plans.
 
Arsenal are also aware speculation will continue to mount as long as he fails to extend his current deal, and the Gunners may eventually have to sell him if they do not want to lose him on the cheap.
 
City have already raided Arsenal once earlier this season when they swooped to sign playmaker Samir Nasri, whose contract with the Gunners had been due to expire next summer.
 
City, desperate to offload Tevez, are even prepared to accept cut-priced offers for Tevez in the January transfer window said to be anything in the region of £20 million.
 
Tevez’s current market value represents a huge drop from the £40m Corinthians reportedly offered City earlier in the summer.
 

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