Arsenal Transfer Rumors: Gunners Smart to Keep Robin Van Persie Demands High

With the calendar turning to August and the season quickly approaching, the pressure on Arsenal to solve the ongoing Robin van Persie saga will reach fever pitch. It's important the team continues to stand tall and avoid accepting a low-ball offer.

John Cross of the Daily Mirror reports Juventus have been planning a massive move for the dynamic striker with a total value of around £70 million in hopes of getting Arsene Wenger to change his hard-line stance concerning Van Persie.

It's a sign the Gunners are starting to get interested teams to bend a little bit when it comes to Van Persie. Wenger hasn't been willing to give his most coveted player away cheap simply because of continued pressure to do so.

He's under contract for another season, which gives Wenger some leverage in an otherwise difficult situation. The Gunners can't keep letting talented players walk away from the Emirates, and that's the message which is getting sent throughout this process.

If a team really wants Van Persie, it will have to step up to the plate and provide the mega offer a player on his level deserves. The 28-year-old Dutchman scored 37 goals across all competitions last season, including a league-leading 30 in Premier League play.

Players like him are hard to find, making them a valuable resource. Although he does have some injury concerns surrounding him, the Gunners can't afford to take a dramatically smaller price just based on past issues or they'd be doing themselves a disservice.

Should Juventus, or another team linked to Van Persie, such as the two powerhouses from Manchester, make a major offer then Wenger would probably budge. But that hasn't officially happened yet, so he has to play his cards close to his vest.

It wouldn't even be a surprise to see Arsenal keep him until January if the situation dictates. Teams become more desperate during that window because they are caught up in title races, and Van Persie could be the piece to put them over the top.

However, Wenger decides to play the situation in terms of timing, he must continue to demand top dollar for his biggest asset. It's the only way Arsenal can walk away from the situation and feel good about it.

It's a situation that warrants watching closely over the next couple weeks because it seems like something could break at any moment. Only time will tell.

As for now, Wenger just needs to stick with the status quo and let the other teams sweat it out.