Arsenal were left in turmoil last month as club Captain and star Forward Robin Van Persie stated he was in no rush to sign a new contract, after delaying talks due to seek assurances from the owners about the ambition of the club. "It's not only about me, it's about the team." He said. "We are not talking now because we are so busy - we have games every three or four days. I still have almost two years left here, so for the moment that's fine. But I don't know, we will have to look." This was then followed by the sale of his London property only last week, fuelling more fuel to the fire.
However, this is not to say he won't renew his contract with The Gunners, but it is enough to give the Arsenal faithful and manager Arsene Wenger, sleepless nights.
Van Persie has two years left on his contract along with fellow front man Theo Walcott, midfielder Alex Song and stalwart defender Thomas Vermaelen, and rest assured, all three will be considering whether their future lies in North London, after seeing the likes of Cesc Fabregas and Sami Nasri leave this summer.
It has been a constant feature under Wenger's reign, of players either wanting to leave or being hounded by other teams, who have the financial fire power to double or even triple their wages - something Arsenal have been unable to match.
1999 saw a young Nicolas Anelka, vying for a move to then Spanish champions Real Madrid, earning him the nickname 'Le Sulk'. A year later saw Real's arch rivals Barcelona nabbing both Emmanuel Petit and Marc Overmars, both who were a huge part of Arsenal's successful double winning team. Petit had formed a formidable partnership with fellow countryman Patrick Vieira, who himself, was next in line. Despite being the captain of arguably Arsenal's greatest ever side, Vieira was in constant demand from Real Madrid and Manchester United throughout his Arsenal career, in a saga that continued until his departure to Juventus in 2005. Despite declaring his unconditional affection for The Gunners, record goal scorer Thierry Henry also found himself moving to Catalan, after being hotly pursued by then Barcelona President Juan Laporta, who was keen to get his man. Mattheu Flamini left on a free to AC Milan, after an impressive season and Emmanuel Adebayor made a high profile exit to Eastlands and Manchester City.
Robin Van Persie - Arsenal's most recognisable name and prime asset, will surely be on the hot list of many clubs in Europe, much to the annoyance and frustration at everyone associated with Arsenal Football Club. His admission to delay talks has a familiar ring to it, witnessed time and again, with an outcome that has always seen the player to eventually leave.
Van Persie, who saw his team mates and friends Cesc Fabregas and Sami Nasri departing and not be replaced by bigger names, will undoubtedly allow him to be more cautious before signing on the dotted line.
However difficult a period this maybe for Arsenal, the thought of Van Persie leaving, might not actually be a bad thing for the North London club.
Van Persie is 28 years old, in his prime and still has another two years left in his contract. However, he will be 30 by the time his contract expires and will be in the last phase of his career. Worst case scenario would be for Arsenal to get an offer for him, rather than see him leave on a free.
Despite tallying 100 goals for the club last week, Van Persie has had a frustrating career at Arsenal. Brilliance has often been marred by constant injuries (only 162 appearances in eight seasons), which has left a question mark over his fitness and longevity. Whether any club would consider approaching to sign a player with a chequered injury record as his, is a cause for concern and enough to give potential buyers food for thought.
Although the thought of Van Persie - another big name leaving - will look like a disaster to many, his departure wouldn't hit Arsenal as much as the other star names, for the prime reason that he has hardly ever played a full season and has largely been watching from the sidelines, since his time at North London. Therefore, despite his undoubted talent, his departure wouldn't be a huge loss in the long term.
That being said, Arsenal will surely be looking to tie up the Dutchman on a long contract along with Theo Walcott, Alex Song and Thomas Vermaelen, in a situation that is looking more challenging by the minute.