I can't wait for financial fair play in football to finally come into effect. As an Arsenal fan I watched some of Europe's most bloated and ruthless clubs pillage our club for years.
Kolo Toure, Gael Clichy, Samir Nasri and Adebayor have all gone the way of Man City's oil billions. Fabregas has been mesmerised by the Catalan giant that is Barcelona and now Robin Van Persie, almost certainly one of the three best forwards currently playing the game, is being primed and groomed by Europe's greediest clubs.
I know that Arsenal can't compare financially to the Man Citys, Real Madrids and Anzhi Makhachkalas of this world, but when financial fair play comes into force, all that will change and clubs that exercise prudence, develop youth and foster stability will be the places to be.
Very few, if any clubs, do this quite like my beloved Gunners, so my feeling is that if the unthinkable does happen and Van Persie does depart, there is every chance that it will be a decision he comes to rue.
However much he might feel that Arsenal's ambition bears no comparison with Europe's big spenders, time and again we see that expenditure is no sure way to success. Few would argue with the fact that Chelsea's recent Champion's League win came in spite of their £50 million deal for Torres, not because of it.
So when I'm out driving my Nissan NV200 this morning and I hear that Van Persie could be on the way to Anzhi Makhachkala for £45 million and £300,000 a week, I can't help but think that if he does go to another club it will be at the risk of leaving himself short of the kind of legacy he could only get be staying at a club that makes legends, not mercenaries.
C'mon Van Persie, you have a shot at staying at Arsenal and being compared to the true greats of the game!
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