Arsenal Transfer Rumors: Gunners Need Juventus to Stay Keen on Robin van Persie

Arsenal certainly doesn't want to have to get rid of star striker Robin van Persie. But even more importantly, they won't want to transfer him to a Premier League rival like Manchester City or Manchester United.

That makes the interest shown in RVP by Juventus very important. But as the Mirror reports, the Italian club isn't going to wait around forever:

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Juventus are turning up the heat on Arsenal over Robin van Persie.

The Italian champions' general manager, Guiseppe [sic] Marotta, has made it clear that van Persie is their number one priority—but also hinted they will switch their attentions to Manchester City misfit Edin Dzeko unless they get an answer quickly.

Juventus, who have had a cheeky £8million opening gambit inevitably turned down, have now told the Gunners they will pay around £20m in addition to offering van Persie £190,000-a-week AFTER tax.

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While I'm guessing Arsenal would like closer to a £30 million fee for the striker, the rumored Juventus offer is certainly a good starting point. Plus, Van Persie will like those wage figures, no doubt.

Getting Van Persie out of England should be a priority for Arsenal if they sell. But Juventus can also serve another purpose even if they don't ultimately end up as RVP's destination—they can help drive up the cost of the bids for the Dutch striker.

The only way Arsenal will want to sell RVP to a Manchester club is if the fee to do so is worthwhile—the team will be able to stomach him terrorizing the EPL while wearing a different kit next season. But without an outside club like Juventus pushing hard for Van Persie, neither Manchester side will feel inclined to break the bank.

Plus—and this is pure conjecture on my part, but bear with me—Juventus' interest could spark a team like AC Milan to make a big bid, hoping not only to keep Van Persie away from its Serie A competitors, but also to replace the production lost by the team's huge selling of Zlatan Ibrahimovic to Paris Saint-Germain.

AC Milan are already dealing with fallout after selling Ibra and star center-back Thiago Silva to PSG, to the point that they have offered disgruntled fans season-ticket refunds. But a major signing like Van Persie would likely appease the fanbase and keep the Milan squad dangerous as ever next season.

So, Arsenal should keep negotiating with Juventus and not buy into the team's assertions that they will move on to a player like Dzeko, who is clearly a less appealing option than Van Persie.

Even if RVP doesn't end up at Juventus, the Italian side could ultimately be Arsenal's best friend in this transfer window. Well, as good as a friend who facilitates the sale of your best player could ever be, that is.

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