Arsenal interested in van Persie
AMSTERDAM, Netherlands -- Feyenoord's Robin van Persie looks set to move to Arsenal after the Rotterdam club admitted they had received an offer from the English side.
"Arsenal have made an opening offer and our president, Jorien van den Herik, has already responded," Feyenoord external affairs manager Jan D. Swart said.
"This offer can be considered a serious base for further negotiations."
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger refused to comment on the deal after a report the Premier League leaders had an initial bid of three million pounds ($5.4m) rejected.
They will apparently have to pay at least five million pounds ($9m) to sign the 20-year-old.
"I have no comment to make," he told Sky Sports after his side's 1-0 defeat by Middlesbrough in the League Cup semifinal first leg clash.
"We never talk about transfers until we have completed them. All the comments have been made by Feyenoord, we have had nothing to do with them."
Van Persie made his name when he was in the Feyenoord team that beat Germany's Borussia Dortmund in the 2002 UEFA Cup final.
He is out of contract at the end of the season and has failed to reach a new agreement with Feyenoord.
"Robin has informed Feyenoord that he will not extend his contract," said van Persie's advisor, Erwin Boonacker.
"For Robin it is a dream to continue his career abroad with a top team. In December, Robin was visited by an Arsenal representative and we informed Feyenoord about the interest from London.
"At the moment we are not negotiating but when Feyenoord and Arsenal reach an agreement, we will start negotiations with Arsenal."
Ruud Gullit, who takes over as Feyenoord coach at the end of the season, said he wanted van Persie to stay, and warned the player that his opportunities at Highbury could be limited.
"It's not only for our interest but for his interest because I know how it works at a club like Arsenal and you can imagine that Robin will hardly play there in his first few years," said Gullit.
