Van Persie undergoes medical on first day of training • Arsenal displeased by striker's refusal to extend contract
Robin van Persie has had his first face-to-face encounter with Arsène Wenger since declaring that he would not sign a new contract at Arsenal when he reported as scheduled for the first day of his pre-season training.
The club captain, whose return had been delayed due to his participation at Euro 2012 with Holland, underwent his medical assessment and he and the manager sought to put a professional front on what has been a deep fissure in their relationship.
Van Persie shocked everyone at the club with his statement on 4 July, which was posted on his official website and effectively said he wanted to leave because he disagreed with Wenger and the board of directors "in many aspects … on the way Arsenal should move forward".
Wenger had the greatest reason to feel let down, and not only because Van Persie's statement weakened Arsenal's negotiating position with clubs that covet him, chief among them Manchester City.
Wenger went to great lengths last season to protect Van Persie from questions about his future, which became an issue when he announced in September that he would not open new contract talks until the summer. Van Persie's deal has 12 months to run.
One of the pressing issues concerns whether Van Persie will be on the Arsenal flight to Kuala Lumpur on Saturday, for their pre-season tour of Asia, which also takes in Beijing and Hong Kong. Arsenal play City at Beijing's Bird's Nest stadium on Friday week.
The touring situation mirrors those of Cesc Fábregas and Samir Nasri last summer, two players that wanted to leave Arsenal at the time. Fábregas, who would sign for Barcelona, did not tour Malaysia and China because of a muscular injury but Nasri did travel. On a tour that was notable for the volume of promotional appearances made by the players, Nasri did no PR work. He went on to sign for City.
Arsenal are preparing to take Van Persie with them, reasoning that, as with Nasri last time, he is a fully fit member of their squad. The situation will change only if he is injured in training or a potential transfer becomes significantly more likely.
City appear to be the only club with the means to pay a massive fee and salary for a player with a questionable fitness record who turns 29 next month but there remain obstacles even for them. Their ranks are bloated with expensively paid strikers and they must sell some of them before they can consider a move for Van Persie, which will not be easy.
Emmanuel Adebayor is poised to sign for Tottenham Hotspur but either Carlos Tevez or Edin Dzeko might have to go, too, along with Roque Santa Cruz. Uefa's incoming financial fair play regulations are on the minds of the City board.
Arsenal want a quick resolution to the affair but City might reason that it is in their interests to bide their time. Wenger continues to hope that Van Persie can be persuaded to change his mind or that, if City cannot make the deal happen, the player will refocus for the coming season at Arsenal.
Looking back through the history books for the events, signings and memorable matches that happened on this day in City’s history.
Espanyol target City winger
Espanyol are keen to bring Vladimir Weiss back to Spain on a permanent deal but are struggling to pay City's £2.4m asking price.
The Slovakia international spent last season on loan at the Estadi Cornellà-El Prat, managing two goals in his 28 appearances as Espanyol finished mid-table in La Liga.
With his future at City looking bleak given the abundance of talent they have in attack Weiss is thought open to a permanent move elsewhere to continue his career.
Espanyol manager Mauricio Pochettino is thought to have been impressed by the 22-year-old last season and wants Weiss back at the club.
However, the Catalonia outfit can't afford to pay City's asking price but hope they can strike a deal to buy half of the player's ownership rights.
The Spanish giants aren't the only club interested in Weiss though and City could look elsewhere, with three teams in Italy thought to be monitoring his progress.
Manchester City hand duo trial chance
Manchester City are running the rule over a pair of trialists on their pre-season tour of Austria.
The Blues continue their preparation by meeting Dynamo Dresden in Innsbruck on Tuesday night.
18-year-old Croatian striker Mario Jelavic and Israeli midfielder Nir Biton will be handed a chance to impress
Man City set to beat Arsenal to signature of French teenage sensation
While Roberto Mancini remains busy trying to sign some of the world’s biggest names, Manchester City are also keeping an eye out for younger prospects, and could be ready to bring in 17-year old French sensation M’Baye Niang from Ligue 2 side Caen.
Niang made 23 appearances for the Normandy-based club last season, and despite their relegation from the French first division, has many experts talking him up as one of the biggest talents the country has produced in years.
City have been quick to jump on the trail of French Under-21 international after seeing the youngster spend a few days training at Arsenal, with Brian Marwood, the Football Administration Officer at City, said to have approached Caen with a request to have Niang come to Eastlands for talks over his future.
The Citizens are hoping that they can swoop in for the player ahead of Arsenal, and are ready to offer Caen an impressive £6 million for the 17-year old who they believe can become one of the world’s best strikers in the coming years.
Marwood has over the previous few seasons been trying to improve the quality of the players developing through City’s youth academy after manager Mancini expressed his unhappiness over the inability of the club’s youth system to groom stars
ON THIS DAY - OFFICIAL CLUB BOLLOX
Saturday 17th July 1976: City’s Mr Dependable, Alan Oakes, finally left City for Chester after giving solid, reliable service to the club for over 18 years. With 665 competitive starts under his belt, he remains the all-time record appearance holder.
Oakes was a quiet unassuming player who was overlooked at all international levels for England. Oakes was happy to let others take the limelight yet was vital to the glorious all-conquering Mercer side of the late 1960s and the management showed their faith in Oakes by naming him captain for the 1968–69 season.
Consistent right up until the end of his days at Maine Road, he was named City’s Player of the Year in 1975.
Sunday 17th July 2005: Shaun Wright-Phillips completed his £21m move to Chelsea, a record fee received by the club. The popular winger was the first Academy graduate and his sale brought in much-needed funds to the cash-strapped Blues. The crowd-favourite returned to City three years later for less than half the fee he left for.
Thursday 17th July 2008: Goals from Martin Petrov and Dietmar Hamann gave City a 2-0 UEFA Cup First Qualifying round, first leg lead over Faroe Islands outfit EB Streymur in Torshavn. It was Mark Hughes’ first game in charge and a game City rarely have to break sweat in
OTHER BOLLOX
Arsene Wenger has demonstrated Arsenal still have plenty of ambition by making an offer of £9m to sign goalscoring midfielder Paulinho, 23, from Brazilian club Corinthians. Times
West Ham have made a move for Manchester United striker Dimitar Berbatov, 31, who has become frustrated with life at Old Trafford following a lack of first-team games. Daily Mirror
Manchester United's pursuit of Lucas Moura hit another financial snag when it emerged that Sao Paulo's asking price could soon increase to £34m. Daily Mail
Real Madrid believe they are the only club that Tottenham midfielder Luka Modric, 26, wants to join this summer, and the president, Florentino Pérez, has told friends he is supremely confident of closing the deal. the Guardian
Liverpool striker Andy Carroll, 23, has told his representatives to secure him a return to Newcastle. Newcastle Evening Chronicle
But the Reds will seek to recoup at least £20m from the sale of Carroll this summer, a valuation that will sorely test Newcastle's aspirations to re-sign the England striker before the new Premier League campaign. the Guardian
Sheffield Wednesday are preparing for life in the Championship by rivalling Blackburn and Nottingham Forest's interest in taking QPR's Joey Barton on loan. Daily Mail
Lille and Marseille are hoping to persuade former Tottenham striker Louis Saha, 33, to return to France as the free agent ponders his next move. talkShit
Argentine midfielder Claudio Yacob, who has previously been linked with Manchester United and Arsenal, is expected to move to West Brom after the 24-year-old's contract expired at Buenos Aires side Racing Club. Daily Mirror
Blackburn are hopeful of completing a £2.5m deal for West Brom striker Simon Cox, 25. Daily Mail
Four months after walking away from his £5m-a-year job as England manager, Fabio Capello is back in the big time after winning the race to succeed Dick Advocaat as coach of the Russia national side. the Times
Football Association chairman David Bernstein will defend the Football Association's work in tackling racism when he reports to a committee of MPs in response to their long-running football governance inquiry. Daily Telegraph
Aston Villa may sell Jean Makoun, 29, because the Cameroon midfielder's lack of English is making it hard for him to get a new work permit. Daily Mirror
GOLDEN BOLLOX - Aug 2011
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