World Football Gossip Roundup: Van Persie, Podolski, Anelka, Mourinho, Neymar

Looking for your daily world football gossip? You're in the right place.

The world football rumor mill never stops turning, and today is no exception. Here's a batch of stories you'll probably find interesting no matter which team you support.

If not, feel free to leave your own gossip in the comments, along with all questions and whatever else strikes your fancy.

RVP Going Nowhere, According to Wenger

There will be on transfer saga for Robin van Persie this summer, because he will not be allowed to leave under any condition, according Arsene Wenger.

From the Telegraph:

"

We will not lose anybody to Manchester City, or to anybody else because we want to keep our players.

We will do everything possible to extend his (Robin van Persie) contract. Our plan is to keep Robin van Persie even if we buy any player. Our desire is clean and clear. Robin is the leader of our club and I would just like to specify that he is not at the end of his contract.

He is under contract until 2013. So I would say focus on your job, which he does very well and enjoy your games.

"

Wenger's most important quote of the day came next. Asked if he would keep Van Persie next season, even if he did not extend his contract, Wenger said: “Yes. Of course.”

So there you have it Gunners fans, RVP is going nowhere.

Of course, transfer rumors will likely continue to be produced by the media from now till the end of the coming summer, but Wenger is not a man to go back on his word, and it looks like the Dutchman's immediate future has been settled by Wenger.

Now, Arsenal will have to focus on sufficiently impressing their captain in order to convince him to also commit his long-term future to the club as well.

Lukas Podolski Deal Not Finalized

Leave it to Arsenal to dominate the media with the biggest stories of the day.

Moving on from RVP, Wenger was also questioned about Lukas Podolski, who's transfer had been reportedly confirmed by German paper Bild.

Wenger was quick to quash rumors of a completed deal for Podolski, saying:

"

I have not a lot to say about that because if we sign a player we will inform you. At the moment we have not signed anybody. There is still no agreement.

The distance to the agreement is not always linked with the signing. When you are very close you are quickly very far again, but Podolski is a good player, I wouldn't deny that.

"

When asked to comment on the likelihood of a deal being completed Wenger said the situation could change "in the next two or three weeks," adding that "anything is possible."

I expect that Podolski will indeed have his transfer confirmed in the next two or three weeks, but it seems Arsenal fans will have to wait until then to start celebrating their new signing's deal with the club.

FIFA and Brazil Make Up

Earlier this week, FIFA general secretary Jerome Valcke had caused a major rift between FIFA and Brazil when he said the organizers of the 2014 World Cup needed a "kick up the backside'' to speed up their progress on various projects that had fallen behind schedule.

In response, Brazil Sports Minister Aldo Rebelo threatened to cut ties with FIFA, stating that Brazil needed to communicate with someone "who has the ability to understand the level of responsibilities required for this type of relationship,'' and that Brazil would no longer work with Valcke in light of his comments.

Although tensions rose as Valcke initially refused to take back his criticisms of Brazil's work for the 2014 World Cup, Valcke has now apologized, Brazil has accepted his apology, and all is well on the international stage.

Another crisis averted, thanks to the master politicians at FIFA. Now if they could just get to work on that one goal-line technology problem.

Nicholas Anelka—Shining Hope of the Chinese League?

Nicholas Anelka has been relaxing ever since his transfer earlier this January from Chelsea to Shanghai Shenua.

But this weekend, he'll have to start playing football again, in a league where millions of football fans, adminstrators, coaches and staff are hoping the well-travelled Frenchman can raise the quality of the league and football in the country.

Asked about how he felt about making his debut in China, Anelka was typically conservative with his response: "“Of course, there’s a lot of attention on me right now, but I’m just here to do my best for Shanghai Shenhua, to score goals and play well for the team and the fans.”

That's all Anelka will need to do meet expectations at his new club. But members of China's FA, like vice president Xi Jinping, will hope that Anelka is the first step to returning China's football to its more promising days and overcoming the corruption that has plagued the game in recent years.

MLS—New Season Starts This Weekend

China is the only country whose domestic league kicks back into action this weekend. The MLS will also finally return this weekend for all those hungry American fans who have been patiently waiting for the new season since the LA Galaxy picked up last year's MLS Cup.

There are a couple of reasons this MLS season will be particularly special for the MLS.

The big reason is that NBC will be covering MLS games this season, as MLS' TV sponsorship continues to a grow, a positive sign for the overall growth of the league. Sports Illustrated has the inside scoop on what NBC hopes to achieve with its MLS coverage this season.

The second reason is that this is MLS 17th season, matching lifespan of the now-defunct North American Soccer League.

As Fox News points out, the MLS is much healthier in its 17th season than the NASL was in its 17th season, and looks set to continue the growth its experienced over the last few years.

The expansion onto NBC is a testament to that, but so is the expansion of the MLS into new cities over the years, as well as the world-class legends who are now more likely to see the MLS as an attractive destination to continue their careers in.

Here's hoping Nashville, TN gets a team soon, because hockey (Predators) and football (Titans) alone certainly isn't doing it for me.

Joachim Löw Not Interested in Chelsea Job Until After Euro 2012

Joachim Low is the latest to distance himself from the Chelsea job, stating he has no interest at the moment and is completely focused on his job with Germany at Euro 2012.

This comes after Marcelo Bielsa reportedly rejected two approaches from Chelsea to take over the Chelsea job. Pep Guardiola has also laughed off speculation of him joining Chelsea after his contract ends with Barcelona.

At this rate, Chelsea may only have Roberto Di Matteo and Rafa Benitez to choose between in the summer. And Chelsea fans have been pretty vocal about how they feel about the ex-Liverpool gaffer...

Jose Mourinho to Sign New Real Madrid Contract?

Another Chelsea target for manager bites the dust.

But more importantly, it seems Real Madrid will be hanging onto one of the best managers in the world for the forseeable future.

In a recent press conference, Jose Mourinho revealed the unexpected news:

"

I am going to sign a new contract with Real Madrid. I would like to have a place in the club’s history. Real Madrid and I share a project and we are going to carry on with it. Being part of this team is a fantastic and unforgettable experience for a manager like me. 

Madrid is one of the biggest clubs in the world and I feel happy here. I feel they trust me here and I feel I have the complete support of the directors and all the fans. I see my future as achieving more things with Real Madrid and better results that lead to us winning trophies.

"

There you have it. Excellent news for Real Madrid fans (like myself), bad news for Chelsea. Now, all that's left is for Pep Guardiola to confirm his future at Barcelona...

Neymar Scores a Hat-Trick vs Internacional

Although he could not match the magic of Lionel Messi with five goals of his own, Neymar scored a hat-trick against Internacional in the Copa Liberatodores to further boost his credentials as the hottest under-21 player on the planet.

His first goal was a penalty, but his second goal has to be a candidate for goal of the season. From inside his own half, Neymar dribbled past four defenders, and had enough steam left in his tank to chip the goalkeeper to put Santos 2-0 up.

Sensational stuff, and to seal the deal, Neymar repeated his dribbling heroics on a slightly smaller scale to score Santos' third of the night.