Gunners chief in RVP warning

Robin van Persie: Arsenal chiefs are determined they will not let their skipper walk out of the club in a cut price deal

Arsenal chairman Peter Hill-Wood has warned clubs interested in their want-away striker Robin van Persie that they will not let him go on the cheap.

The Dutch contract rebel has already told Arsenal chiefs he will not sign a new deal at the North London club when his current one runs out next year.

Recent summers have seen the Gunners lose star players such as Samir Nasri and Cesc Fabregas to Manchester City and Barcelona respectively and they do not want it to happen again.

But should the 28-year-old turn his back on the club, Hill-Wood is determined to make any buyers dig deep for their talismanic captain who hit 37 goals last year and was voted Player of the Year in every poll that mattered.

"He is a world class player and we do not want to give him away," said Hill-Wood. "If he is determined to leave then that is up to him, but giving him away is not on our agenda.

"To be honest I do not understand him at all. I understood Cesc Fabregas wanting to go home to Barcelona last summer. I had sympathy with that.

"But I thought Robin was happy at Arsenal. Especially after the season that he had with us."