'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAFAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFQABAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABAb/2gAIAQEAAAAArRf/xAAUAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAE/9oACAECEAAAAC//xAAUAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAF/9oACAEDEAAAAF//xAAgEAACAgEDBQAAAAAAAAAAAAABAgMEAAUHEgYRM3KS/9oACAEBAAE/AOnNxrFqKqDp0EYS48EojfyIAzD1ytvBYWtEs2iU3lCDk4btyPzn/8QAFxEBAAMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAgADUf/aAAgBAgEBPwAWvZ//xAAZEQABBQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARAAIDBBL/2gAIAQMBAT8AfViByv/Z'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Arsenal striker Robin van Persie has called on Arsene Wenger to spend big this summer if he wants to remain competitive in the Premier League and continue to challenge the might of Manchester United and Chelsea. The Dutch forward said that there was no reason why Arsenal could not splash the cash if needed, and that all players inevitably cost a hefty sum in today’s inflated market.
In an interview with The Daily Mail, van Persie sounded confident of the Gunners ability to attract big names and make bumper signings if the need arose. He admitted to their being many mitigating factors involved, like the length of contract and actual quality of the player, but stressed that today’s football market was generally inflated and there was nothing Arsenal could do but accept it.
When asked if Arsenal could make a 25 million pound signing, he said-
“Why not?”
“These days, proper players cost money. Sometimes you see players go for loads of money and you think, ‘Is he that good?’ It needs to be seen. Most of the time, they are.
“But the main thing is it’s not just a label, ‘multi-million pound signing’, it’s more about the quality. If you buy a player who’s got one year left normally he’s not going to be worth 40 or 50 million, he’ll be a bit less.
“So it’s not really that you get a clear picture of how good someone is when you play a lot. It depends on loads of things.”
He underlined the importance of continued investment in the team, citing the examples of teams such as Manchester City, Liverpool and Man United in this regard.
“You need investment to keep up because, when you look around, Man City is buying loads of good players, Liverpool are doing it now, Man United have been doing it for years.
“So, in a way, you need to keep that up, because if everyone is doing something you need to do it as well.”
Van Persie also emphasized on the importance of competition among team members. He said that no player of the team should be certain of a place barring the captain and goalkeeper, which would help foster positive competition and ultimately improve the overall team performance.
“I think it’s a good thing that we have competition. Everyone needs competition because no one really wants to go to sleep.
“I think in an ideal world no one is really sure of his place – maybe the captain and the goalkeeper but all the other players shouldn’t really be knowing before that they will play. It’s always good to have competition and be on your toes.”
