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'I'm not staying' Van Persie tells Arsene Wenger
Robin van Persie, the Arsenal captain, has made it clear that he is not willing to sign a new contract in the immediate future, sparking fears that the club are facing yet another damaging summer transfer saga.
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Vieira spent several years sharing a dressing-room with Van Persie at Arsenal and he is adamant that his former team-mate will be driven by sporting rather than financial factors.
"Robin wants to win trophies," Vieira said. "Arsenal have to show him he can do it with Arsenal. The best way for them to get him to sign a contract is to bring players to the club who can show him that the club are in the same line as him.
"It's really important because we know how Robin loves Arsenal. That's not the question, the question is how Arsene Wenger will convince Robin they can win trophies.
"With Samir and Cesc you can say, 'OK, those two are gone', but behind you know that there is Jack Wilshere and Van Persie still at the club.
"But if Robin comes to leave, that means next year it may be Theo Walcott, next year's going to be Wilshere.
"It's going to be difficult for Arsenal to keep the top players. On the other side, if they keep Robin they're going to send a positive message to all the clubs and to all the people around and I think it's really important to keep him. The first step is to keep all the quality players and the talent. There's still a year so that means he's not gone yet."
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Arsenal FC - Vol.67, Good Old Pet Rice
