Robin Van Persie Transfer News: Why Arsene Wenger Owes Us All a Chocolate Bar

Arsene Wenger famously bet a reporter that should Robin van Persie not sign with Arsenal again, he would give him a chocolate bar.

Now it seems it's time to pay up.

Arsenal's captain and top striker van Persie has gutted fans and followers right around the world with his recent decision not to re-sign with the Gunners after his contract expires next season.

The Premier League Golden Boot winner made the announcement on his own personal website in a carefully worded statement, but still gave away a couple of hints as to why he is moving.

"

As announced earlier this year I had a meeting with the boss [Wenger] and Mr [Ivan] Gazidis [the chief executive] after the season. This was a meeting about the club's future strategy and their policy. Financial terms or a contract have not been discussed, since that is not my priority at all.

I personally have had a great season but my goal has been to win trophies with the team and to bring the club back to its glory days.

Out of my huge respect for Mr Wenger, the players and the fans I don't want to go into any details, but unfortunately in this meeting it has again become clear to me that we in many aspects disagree on the way Arsenal should move forward.

I've thought long and hard about it, but I have decided not to extend my contract.

"

Arsenal then issued a brief statement in response—indicating that whilst they expect van Persie to carry out his duties next season, they are preparing for life without the Dutchman.

"

We have to respect Robin's decision not to renew his contract. Robin has one year to run on his current contract and we are confident that he will fulfil his commitments to the club. We are planning with ambition and confidence for next season with Arsenal's best interests in mind.

"

The news comes as a bitter blow to Arsenal, who were looking like being a Premier League front-runner over the next few years with the additions of Olivier Giroud and Lukas Podolski to their starting side. And that's not to suggest that they cannot be a threat without van Persie—it's simply an indication that the loss of their star striker truly does hurt their chances.

But there is that elephant in the room—why does van Persie want to leave Arsenal? Why does their captain and most prominent ambassador for the club want out of the Emirates?

I think his statement gives us the most helpful insight, particularly where he states that his goal is to "win trophies with the team and to bring the club back to its glory days,"—meaning, I'm not sure that I can win trophies at Arsenal, so I want out.

Whether or not the statement above is true, it does highlight a bigger problem at Arsenal—a problem that should have been picked up on last season, when the club lost several high-profile stars over the transfer window.

Arsenal lost Emmanuel Adebayor and Kolo Toure two years ago; they lost Gael Clichy, Samir Nasri and captain Cesc Fabregas last year; now it appears that they'll be watching van Persie walk out the same door that so many have walked out before him.

The problem is not about whether or not the Dutch international is receiving enough money at the club; the issue is not even about whether or not van Persie thinks that the club believes in him.

The problem is, as van Persie indicates, the lack of investment in new players.

Instinctively, Arsenal fans will want to point out the acquisition of Giroud and Podolski and yes, both players have been picked up in the summer transfer window to boost the squad and add further depth to the Gunners attack.

Think about it for a minute.

The acquisition of Giroud from Montpellier was seen by many, including myself, to be a step in the right direction in terms of adding depth to their squad.

But if the so-called "fateful meeting" between van Persie and club officials took place back in May, before the Giroud deal, perhaps he wasn't brought in to the club to strengthen but rather to replace?

Arsenal might have been playing catch up from the word go, rather than looking to build on what they had in front them. In fact, they might never have been afforded the luxury to build, because they were already trying to fill the holes appearing in their squad.

Regardless of whether the Giroud signing was to strengthen or to replace, the signing of he and Podolski simply doesn't cut it against the other big-name clubs of the English Premier League, as highlighted by Darren Lewis at The Mirror.

"

The bottom line is that, on too regular a basis over the last 15 years, the Gunners have failed to persuade their best players to commit themselves to the club.

City are set to use their wealth to do to Arsenal what the Gunners themselves do to smaller clubs—steal in to pinch players who either want a better pay-day or to be around more talented players.

"

Compared to the giants of the Premier League—Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea—Arsenal are only modest spenders, and it might finally be starting to catch up to them. 

Arsene Wenger's reluctance to pick up players over the transfer window, and not just this year, is taking it's toll on a club that prides itself on earning success through hard work, not by "buying" the competition.

They didn't get it right two years ago, or last year, and they haven't got it right this year.

They have failed to establish themselves as a force off the pitch and not just on the pitch, and they will face the consequences as a result.

See, Arsene Wenger doesn't just owe that reporter a chocolate bar—he owes all of us a chocolate bar for failing to act when the club needed him to act.

How a club with the history and prestige of Arsenal can allow the contract of their biggest star to reach its final year without an extension is mind-boggling.

How they can do it a year after having the same issue with Nasri and Fabregas is just ridiculous.

Bleacher Report's James Dudko writes that Arsene Wenger "is a man rallying against a greed and the  'ends justify the means' cynicism that has strangled world football at its top levels" and while it's completely accurate, perhaps it simply isn't working.

You don't fix a system when it's working fine, but when the same problem continues to arise and the same omissions to act are costing the club title after title, perhaps the system needs fixing. 

Admit that it's broken, then figure out how to fix it.

For if not, Arsenal will continue to perennially underperform and will be forced to watch football's biggest names walk out the front door season after season, unable to prevent them from leaving.

For the sake of the club, the history and every Gunners fan around the world, it's time to start spending some money and acting not just in response to already made decisions. 

I'll even let you keep the chocolate bar for now Wenger.

You might need every cent you've got.

What do you think of the Robin van Persie saga?

Comment below or hit me up on Twitter —  Follow @dantalintyre