Arsenal Transfer News: Wenger's Confidence Great News for Fans

Robin van Persie's future as a member of Arsenal remains up in the air. Rumors have been flying around at a rapid rate, only adding to the drama. But fans should be ecstatic that Arsene Wenger still expects him to remain a Gunner.

The veteran manager didn't mince words when asked about Van Persie's status after weeks of speculation about where he'll play next season, according to The Telegraph. Wenger firmly believes his star striker won't make a move to Italy.

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"If you want to know why I am so certain is that Robin will remain with us is because there is no reason in this world why a great player like Van Persie should go and play for you, in Italy and in your competition.

"Your football (Serie A) is at an inferior level to the Premier League."

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Juventus has been one of the teams linked to Van Persie most often during the process. The Italian powerhouse and Serie A champions have the resources to make a serious offer in an attempt to boost their attack, but Wenger clearly isn't worried.

The Gunners have been very active on the transfer market already, having reached an agreement with Lukas Podolski to help bolster the attack. It's a move that provides some protection if Van Persie were to leave, but gives them great depth if he stays.

Adding depth was one of the main goals for Wenger after watching his top striker carry the offensive load last season. Van Persie netted 30 league goals, and nobody else on the roster scored more than eight.

That's not the type of gap managers like to see for exactly the reason Wenger currently faces. If that top guy goes down—or in this case leaves—there's suddenly a large scoring void to fill and not an easy solution to fix the problem.

The 62-year-old boss received a lot of criticism last offseason after watching several high-profile players walk away during the window, including Cesc Fabregas. After a shaky start to the campaign, there were even fans who thought it was time for him to move on.

But between his early wheeling and dealing this year and his firm stance when it comes to Van Persie, he should be winning a lot of fans back.

While Arsenal wouldn't be able to match some of the outrageous offers other teams can make, he's still under contract for another season, so an ultimate decision isn't needed right now.

Wenger would be better off saying Van Persie will be staying with the team no matter what and that the team will attempt to chase trophies with him next season regardless of his contact situation than being made out to look weak like last year.

He's talking a big game right now, which should be viewed as a great sign. It's hard to imagine him going out on such a limb otherwise.

The Gunners will have to fend off the vultures for a couple more months, but Wenger's comments make things a lot better than they were.