Barcelona Transfer News: Barca Shuns Opportunity to Bid for Robin van Persie

Finishing second in La Liga and reaching the Champions League semifinals would be a terrific season for most teams. For Barcelona, it was a disappointment. Despite a lack of results, Barca doesn't appear willing to make a big splash in the transfer market, deciding to pass on Robin van Persie.

The Arsenal striker has quickly become the most talked-about player on the market with his contract set to expire next summer. His sensational season has many high-profile clubs keeping tabs on him, but Wayne Veysey of Goal.com reports the Blaugrana aren't one of them.

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It is believed that the combination of Van Persie’s age—he turns 29 in August—and the expense of a £20 million transfer fee plus expected £10m-a-year salary have put off the Spanish giants, who are trying to cut their debts and rein in costs.

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An early-season injury to David Villa put a significant dent in Barcelona's offense, which finished with seven less goals than rival and league champion Real Madrid. Barca fans can only wonder what would have happened if Villa didn't get hurt.

Lionel Messi was his usual dynamic self, scoring 50 goals in 37 league games. No other player tallied more than 12, however, exposing a lack of depth behind the world's best player. That's not something you say often about Barcelona.

While those issues would seem to make Van Persie a good fit, Barcelona has good reason to avoid any type of bidding war that might develop if the Gunners make him available.

First and foremost, Villa should be back at full strength by the time next season starts and will slide right back into the starting lineup. That will allow Alexis Sanchez to slide back into the third striker role, which suits him well at this point in his career.

Then there's the issue of money. A powerhouse roster like Barcelona's isn't cheap, giving the club no other options but to watch its costs more closely moving forward.

The report states it will likely take at least a £20 million transfer fee and a £10 million salary to lure Van Persie away from Arsenal if the two sides can't reach a new agreement. That's a lot to pay for what would basically be a luxury player.

So, while on the surface Barcelona would seem like an ideal landing spot for Van Persie, it just doesn't fit what the team is attempting to do. Any money the Blaugrana do spend will be on depth pieces or to fill needs in other areas.

Since that's the case, Barca was wise to state its intentions right away before the rumor mill started getting out of control.