Robin Van Persie: 10 Things Arsenal Must Do to Keep Their Captain

His contract with Arsenal doesn't expire until next summer, but already we have been inundated with the endless stream of reports and will-he won't-he transfer brouhaha that once enveloped another Arsenal captain: Cesc Fabregas.

Robin van Persie has been the host of a number of transfer rumors this season. So how best to keep him at Arsenal?

There's a number of effective, and readily available options that should be considered immediately by the Arsenal board.

Given Arsenal's convenient location in London, home to the Tower of London, they could always ship van Persie there once the final whistle has gone in the last game of the season, and throw away the key. I'd like to see Real Madrid get their hands on him there.

Or they could tell him this.

Wait, what's that you say? They could actually attempt to improve the squad in order to entice him to remain of his own volition?

Fascinating. I hadn't thought of that before.

All joking aside, Arsene Wenger has recently been told he has money to spend this summer to improve a squad that currently sits in fourth place in the league standings, 17 points off the first-place chase, and has seen any realistic designs on silverware this season go the way of water down the drain.

There are reports that Wenger will have up to £50 million to spend on new additions to the squad this summer.

Given that Arsenal made about £55 million (post-tax) on the sales of Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri this past summer, and spent just under £20 million replacing him (Andre Santos, Per Mertesacker, Park Chu-Young, Mikel Arteta, Yossi Benayoun), one wonders what took the board so long to release their stranglehold on the purse strings.

In any event, the summer of 2012 is shaping up to be an historic one for Arsenal Football Club. We may see some new records broken—while it'd be better to see titles won on the pitch, we must remain patient as ever. Change, as they say, can come ever so slowly at times.

Here's 10 things Arsenal must to do keep Robin van Persie.

Strengthen the Squad. A Lot.

Gunners fans may have been confused seeing a certain young German midfielder hustling out to start against Swansea City in a Reserves match back in early February.

Unfortunately, the comparisons between Thomas Eisfeld (signed in the last hours of the winter transfer window) and Mario Goetze end at their nationality (German) and preference of boot color (bright yellow).

We don't know how Eisfeld, himself just 19 years of age, will turn out as a player. But Arsenal fans must have taken heart that Goetze, one of the brightest young stars in Europe, now looks to be within Arsenal's price range given the amount of money at Wenger's disposal this summer.

As former Gunner Emmanuel Petit gravely noted, Arsenal are in dire need of top-quality players.

Should they sign three or four world-class players this offseason (£50 million goes a long way, even in these days of hyper-inflated transfer fees), it would be a bold statement to van Persie, who at 28, doesn't have too many years left in his prime.

Those signings would be a guarantee to the Dutchman that Arsenal share his vision to win titles. It might just be enough to make him stay.

Get Rid of Dead Weight

For those of you who remembered that Abou Diaby is, in fact, still an Arsenal player: well on ya. It's a fact I tend to forget during some of his lengthiest convalescences.

Arsenal are nothing if they are not steeped in talent. But most of that talent is either accompanied by an iffy mentality or maddening propensity for injury.

At this stage, it's time to cut some of the fringe players—who while they may have showed promise in the past—who are now struggling. That means, Diaby, Denilson, Vela, and Bendtner as a start, and a host of higher-profile names (Arshavin, Walcott, and Rosicky) if Wenger is feeling even more ruthless.

The team needs an injection of quality, and getting rid of some dead wood would help quicken that chore.

Sign Van Persie to a New Deal

The Dutchman's contract does not run out until 2013, but a new deal would go a long way toward instilling a sense of security for him.

Given van Persie's reputation for being prone to injury, there are obvious reservations toward giving him a lengthy deal.

Yet the fact that he has remained fit for going on 14 months ((knocks on (Peter Hill-) wood)) speaks in his favor. Van Persie has the kind of game that can last until his mid-thirties, like we once saw with Dennis Bergkamp.

Finish the Current Season on a Strong Note

We've seen some brilliant peaks, and harrowing valleys this season. With the past week and a half all but sealing Arsenal's seventh season without a trophy, hope has flickered, then nearly died.

But there's still almost three months of football to be played. Should Arsenal make a healthy run toward the end of the season—a fit Jack Wilshere would obviously be a huge boon—it could be vital for acquiring top players in the summer window.

After all, Mikel Arteta, formerly of Everton, said that the prospect of Champions League football was a huge factor in his signing for the Gunners last August.

If Arsenal want a realistic shot at the Goetzes, Podoslkis, and Remys of the world, they must do everything in their power to finish in the EPL top four, at the very least.

Avoid Taking the Hard-Line Stance

While Ivan Gazidis might be forgiven for his alleged stance toward a possible van Persie transfer (per an unnamed source in that Goal.com article on the first slide), given how Arsenal have seen top players fly the coop in the past, telling a player unequivocally that he cannot leave under any condition before his contract runs out seems a bit untoward.

Sure, it's business, but if you want a player at his best, it would behoove the brass to make sure he's happy.

There are other ways of keeping van Persie at Arsenal other than sticking by an absolute referendum. If he does intend to leave, that will only strengthen his desire.

Use History to Your Advantage

Like so many Arsenal players who have grown from "promising youngster" to "world-class talent" under Arsene Wenger's care, van Persie owes his current standing to Le Prof's tutelage.

Help him remember that.

Obviously, as we saw with Cesc Fabregas—who is always effusive in his praise for Wenger—a close bond with a coach is by no means a sure-fire prediction that a star will stay.

But it can be a factor in a player's decision. After all, with Cesc ready to leave for Barcelona in the summer of 2010, a sit-down with Wenger apparently made him change his Catalan mind.

Could a similar type of meeting still van Persie's mind? Perhaps.

Avoid Another Rooney Contract Fiasco

It's mostly forgotten now, but even Manchester United was once nearly undone by the prospect of seeing its top two players leave within months of each other.

After Cristiano Ronaldo left for Real Madrid in the summer, Wayne Rooney nearly had Manchester turned on its head when he said he would walk from the club if he didn't get a new contract.

He did, and crisis was averted—within a month, Rooney had hit that splendid overhead kick against Manchester City, the club he'd threatened to join—and Rooney was back playing.

Van Persie has never offered that sort of ultimatum to the Arsenal board, and he should be applauded for it.

For that reason and more, he deserves a new contract.

A Captain's Duty

What's the old adage: "A captain goes down with the ship"?

While that kind of talk has no real place in the here and now of football, the romantic in me would like to think that van Persie would consider his stature as club captain of Arsenal as the sort of bond that would link him inextricably to the club, and make him want to help his charges see out this incredibly rocky patch.

Better times seem on the horizon—money always helps—and there is a genuine likelihood that, given some top-notch additions to the current squad, this Arsenal side could contend for the title as soon as next season.

Hopefully van Persie will be around to lead the way.

Show Him Some Love

Arsenal fans are some of the best at showing their heroes the level of appreciation they deserve. Thierry Henry, Robert Pires, Patrick Vieira: each was shown a wonderful reception when he returned to the Emirates (well, Pires and Vieira never played for Arsenal there, but you get what I'm saying).

The fans know best, as they say, and while they might chastise a Samir Nasri, they are always showing the appropriate level of respect for the legends who deserve their praise.

Robin van Persie merits inclusion in the latter camp. Until the end of the season, Arsenal fans must let him know that. That outpouring of support might just tip the scale in favor of a stay in north London.

Just Win, Baby

It can't be said enough:

Finishing in the top four this season might be the most important thing Arsenal have done in the past seven seasons.

If they are to sign the requisite players for a title tilt next term, they will need van Persie heading the line in attack.

Whether it be Tottenham this weekend, or Liverpool two weeks after that, beating any and all opponents will be huge.