Arsenal not selling Van Persie - Wenger

Arsene Wenger has vowed never to sell Robin van Persie - or any other player - to Manchester City, according to reports in the British press.

Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini has fuelled speculation of another big-money raid on Emirates Stadium for the Holland striker, hailing van Persie as "one of the best strikers in Europe".

"Robin is the leader of our club and I would just like to specify that he is not at the end of his deal. He is under contract until 2013 and even if he doesn't extend with us I would keep him," said a defiant Wenger.
 
The Arsenal boss has made it clear he has run out of patience with their big-spending rivals after Mancini admitted he is keen on Gunners’ star striker Van Persie, 28, has yet to agree an extension to his current contract, which runs until the summer of 2013.

“We will not lose anybody to Manchester City,” said Wenger, who insisted he is confident his skipper will stay but has been left scarred scarred by City spending £71 million to prise top talents out of the Emirates in the last three summers.

Gunners stars Samir Nasri, Gael Clichy, Kolo Toure and Emmanuel Adebayor have all been lured to the blue side of Manchester.

Mancini said earlier in the week: “We are interested – all the good teams are in Van Persie.”

Wenger said: “We want to keep Robin van Persie, we will do everything possible to extend his contract, that is clear, and apart from that, I can only let people talk.

“Look, our desire is clean and clear. What he wants to do, we will speak at the end of the season.”

Van Persie has netted 32 goals in an outstanding individual campaign and is willing to wait until the end of the season before discussing future plans.

Wenger has already stated the club will "do anything possible" to retain the services of their talisman striker.

The Frenchman insists everyone's focus must be on winning Monday night's Barclays Premier League clash with Newcastle to stay in the top four.

"To fulfil his contract is to win against Newcastle and to add to that is to win the next game, that is being professional," the Arsenal boss said.

"You always want to know what happens in 2012 or 2013 then who knows? To be professional is to win your next game."

Arsenal reluctantly sold then captain Cesc Fabregas back to Barcelona last summer, before eventually having to give up in the battle to keep Nasri.

Wenger admits it is a situation he does not want to repeat.

"Last year was the first time we lost the players young. That was a worrying sign and it provoked double trouble," he said.

"Firstly they went late and secondly we bought late when we were already in a very difficult situation.

"There is a wrong understanding about what happened. The club has been treated very badly because of that and I don't think the club was guilty of anything during that transfer period."

Wenger denied the club were in the same position as last year, when he insisted he would not sell Nasri before accepting City's £24 million bid.

He said: "I was very adamant (Nasri would not be sold), but at the end of the day, it was a difficult situation to manage.

"We had the players and we felt after the tour, that (Aaron) Ramsey and (Jack) Wilshere could work, also we could add somebody more.

"If a player didn't want to extend, where do we go from there? But we will see. We do our best to keep our best players."

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