Arsenal Transfer Rumors: Another Star on the Move in January?

The downfall of Arsenal during the summer transfer window has been widely debated and analyzed as their worst nightmare. The loss of both Fabregas to Barcelona and Nasri to Manchester City has put a damper on their hopes of winning any significant trophy this year. The optimistic fans, the few that now remain, claim that the new additions of Mertesacker from Werder Bremen and the Everton skipper Arteta will carry them to the title they so desperately desire.

These thoughts, by the rapidly increasing number of realistic fans, have been thought of as impossible. Arsenal may have hit rock bottom, many in fear of their relegation. Yet could the recent inquiries by Manchester City into a certain player on the Arsenal squad bring them to their demise? 

Earlier this week, many fans and Arsenal staff alike were shocked to hear that their newly proclaimed captain, Robin Van Persie, is interested in a January move to Manchester City. It has been reported that City has been exploring their options for a replacement for Carlos Tevez, who is now serving a suspension for his refusal to play in last Tuesday's Champions League match against Bayern Munich.

If City do end up acquiring Van Persie, he will become the fifth Arsenal transfer to City, after Nasri, Clichy, Kolo Toure and Adebayor. 

According to The Guardian, Arsene Wenger has expressed his displeasure with these inquiries and has had no lack of disapproval saying that Van Persie will be with Arsenal for at least another two years under his contract. Van Persie, on the other hand, has had no intention to sign a contract extension with the dying Gunner team.

"Anybody who wants to sign one of our players…everybody has my phone number and can call me," he said. "I never said I was unhappy with Man City but I don't know why we speak about transfers. I will never answer any more. Robin is under contract until 2013. This is a story created to create a story. There is no truth in it. Why should we sell players in January? Man City already have problems because they have too many strikers, they pay half of the league for them to play away somewhere. Why should they want to buy strikers? It's very difficult to understand."

While Manchester City does have too many strikers, moving them for better ones is the right thing to do. The acquisition of the Holland International would aid them in their journey to an EPL title. Whether Wenger should agree to the transfer of some degree is a completely different question.

If a player does wish to play for a different team and not the one that he is currently playing for, he will not be at his best. Like Carlos Tevez, who has had displeasure playing for City, has become worse and worse as a footballer. If Van Persie continues to play for Arsenal, he may too become like Tevez.

If neither player wants to play for their current team, the logical solution would be to trade them, right?

This isn't one of those cases.

Arsenal need to hold onto Van Persie for as long as they are capable of. Tevez has already shown signs of a decline in his ability and struggles with weight and depression problems.Van Persie has none of those problems.

Also, as demonstrated in their match against Bayern Munich, Tevez has an ego that is not suited for his head. He wasn't a starter in the game and therefore he wouldn't be playing in the game. Makes sense, doesn't it?

Not really.

Wenger is already showing that he is not interested in this kind of transfer. Yet it may become unavoidable. If Arsenal don't pick up the pace and continue their descent to the bottom of the table, Wenger may be forced to move Van Persie. If Wenger doesn't move Van Persie, he will surely be on his way to City and welcomed with open arms in two years.

If Arsenal want to ensure the stay of Van Persie they must, to put it bluntly, do better and win more matches. If not, they can kiss their chances of ever being a title contender again goodbye.