Arsenal Transfer News: Gunners Wise to Play Hardball with Robin Van Persie

Arsenal's best option would have been to sell Robin van Persie quickly to avoid the ongoing saga. Since that didn't happen, however, the Gunners have no choice but to play hardball with their biggest star and hope something changes.

After spending a lot of time trying to find a reasonable offer for the striker, the team is now considering waiting until the next transfer period to make a deal, according to David Woods of the Daily Star. He reports other squads haven't come close to Arsenal's asking price.

The entire ordeal has been surprising to Arsenal chairman Peter Hill-Wood, who didn't get the sense Van Persie was desperate to leave after last season.

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"To be honest I do not understand him at all. I understood Cesc Fabregas wanting to go home to Barcelona last summer. I had sympathy with that.

"But I thought Robin was happy at Arsenal, especially after the season he had with us."

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It's hard to blame Arsenal for taking a hard-line stance after watching so many talented players walk away from Emirates in recent years. Sooner or later it reaches a point where a team must stop a negative trend like that, though.

Van Persie had 37 goals and 15 assists in 48 games across all competitions last season. The Gunners won't be able to replace that type of production easily, which means they can't afford to take any low-ball offers just for the sake of moving him.

After all, he was often the only player creating offense for Arsenal during the last campaign. To say he carried the team on his back through some rough patches would be an understatement, and he's the main reason they earned a Champions League berth.

Gunners manager Arsene Wenger has made a couple additions just in case a good Van Persie offer does come along. The longtime boss has brought in Lukas Podolski and Olivier Giroud, which should at least give them more depth up front.

They can't be counted on to immediately replace Van Persie if he were to leave, though. Players like him don't come around often, and it would take some time for Arsenal to find another striker on his level.

At this point, the Gunners have really been backed into a corner with few winning options available. By not selling him, the risk he walks away at season's end for nothing increases, but they can't just give him away and allow the team to struggle next season because of it.

All they can do now is keep working with Van Persie in hopes he changes his mind on an extension before the January window. Wenger and Co. have to remain firm in their demands, at least for now.

It's the only chance they have in turning the transfer tide back in their favor after a couple frustrating summers.