By Nelson Dafe on December 13, 2016

Some few years ago, a star footballer heard a cry inside of him.  The baby in him wanted him to leave a big team where he had risen to be a cult hero (and was fast approaching the status of legend) to another huge rival who were intent on winning the English premier league title that year.

As you may well know, that player was Dutch attacker Robbin Van Persie, the star who left Arsenal in August 2012 to bitter rivals Manchester United after refusing to renew his contract with The Gunners which had one year to run by then.

In explaining his decision to turn his back on Arsenal (whose manager Arsene Wenger was a father figure to him during the 8 years of his stay in London with the club) Van Persie looked forward to a ‘family club’ in Man United.  The head of that United family was the great manager Sir Alex Ferguson. A big reason for RVP’s decision to join United (apart from the huge pay increase he stood to gain) was the prospect of working with Ferguson and going on to win many big titles with the Scott gaffer.

Sir Fergie was excited to sign RVP. He grinned from ear to ear his excitement to be having the attacking weapon during the press conference in which RVP spoke of the boy inside.  But what Fergie hadn’t told Van Persie by then was that he was looking for one last hurrah before quitting as manager that year.

Fergie only made his decision to retire known when the 2012/13 league title was almost in the bag and with RVP at the heart of United's conquer of the league, winning the top scorer’s prize that season.

Fergie’s departure was followed by a chaotic time for United that arguably persists till this day.  Van Persie lost his excitement and form immediately after Fergie quit reportedly said he wouldn’t have joined United if he knew Sir Alex would be retiring that soon.

Today, Arsenal are involved in another tough transfer saga involving their two best players.  Chilean striker Alexis Sanchez who has been in blistering form this season and mercurial German midfielder Mesut Ozil are nearing the final year of their present contracts at Arsenal and have suffer rebuffed all advances from the club to renew their contracts. There’s unease in the Arsenal fan base worldwide about the prospect of losing these two players that are currently driving the team’s title charge.

But why are Sanchez and Ozil stalling? From all indications they both look happy at Arsenal and they can get more money from the club. They are also playing so well, and the club has got a more balanced team this season, something that couldn’t be said of the side in recent seasons.

Something in me (and it’s no little boy) tells me that they both are looking at the manager Wenger contract situation and wouldn’t like to stay on if the father figure decides to leave.

One of premier league’s longest serving managers, Arsene Wenger of Arsenal is well into his last year of his present contract at the club and at 67 there’s a real prospect of his leaving at the end of the season. He’s spent decades at Arsenal and, like Ferguson was at United, he’s been a stabilising force in the club and a huge draw for top players wanting to be in the club because of his decorum, charisma and wealth of calming intelligence.

Ozil and Sanchez are aware of how rough the change of manager has gone at Man United and they may be fearing to be a part of the uncertainty that could ensue if Wenger leaves.

With both players approaching their 30s,they are at the stage where they think more about their immediate futures and a chaotic or failed managerial transition at Arsenal could put their future at serious risk of fading out disappointingly like that of Van Persie.

While Arsenal are applying some gentle pressure that is threatening to turn serious desperation on Sanchez and Ozil to sign, the real decider could well be how Arsenal finishes this season and whether Wenger pens a new deal.

Source Daily Sports

Posted December 13, 2016

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