ARSENE WENGER has reacted with belligerence and no little cynicism to Manchester City’s interest in Robin van Persie, maintaining that his captain at Arsenal is under contract for a further two years and will not be sold.
City are exploring the option of signing a striker in January, following the controversy that has engulfed Carlos Tevez, and Van Persie, whom City have admired for some time, has been talked of as a possible solution. The Holland international is in no hurry to discuss a contract extension and has suggested that it would be better if he were to wait until next summer.
Wenger is no fan of how City have used the petrodollars of Abu Dhabi to press for honours and he clashed with them this summer, when he felt they had unsettled Samir Nasri before buying him for €28 million. Nasri became the fourth player to leave Arsenal for City in recent times, after Emmanuel Adebayor, Kolo Toure and Gael Clichy, and Wenger was exasperated at the link with Van Persie.
“Anybody who wants to sign one of our players . . . everybody has my phone number and can call me,” he said. “I never said I was unhappy with Man City but I don’t know why we speak about transfers. I will never answer any more. Robin is under contract until 2013. This is a story created to create a story. Why should we sell players in January? Man City already have problems because they have too many strikers, they pay half of the league for them to play away somewhere.”
Wenger, in cagey and defensive mood before his team’s visit to Tottenham Hotspur tomorrow, believes City should not be allowed to subsidise their players’ wages while they are on loan at other Premier League clubs. He feels it gives them an unfair hold and he would be particularly aggrieved if Adebayor, who is on loan at Tottenham, made a decisive contribution to the derby.
“I know the salary of Adebayor,” Wenger said. “I don’t know who pays it but somebody must. I don’t agree with the rules but my job is to adapt to the rules. If the Premier League wants my opinion, I will give them my opinion with pleasure.”
The Tottenham manager, Harry Redknapp, believes now is the time for his team to become “top dogs” in London, an achievement that would almost certainly guarantee them a Champions League berth. When Redknapp was asked if his team can achieve dominance he said: “Yeah but, if I start saying we should be top dogs and then they go and chin us on Sunday, then everyone says: ‘Serves him right for opening his big mouth.’”
Aaron Lennon is a doubt due a groin strain but Redknapp is happy with the form of his players. “We’ve got good options,” he said. “Jermain (Defoe) was injured last week so Rafa (van der Vaart) came back in and played off Adebayor and we played slightly differently. Luka (Modric) played wide, Sandro played central with Parker, that was a good combination. So we have some good problems to have.”
