ContinueSo far this summer there has been nothing but good news for Arsenal fans as Lukas Podolski and Olivier Giroud have both agreed to move to the Emirates.
It is a far cry from 12 months ago when Cesc Fabregas, Samir Nasri and Gael Clichy all left the club, with the French duo rubbing further salt in the wound by going on to win the Premier League title with Manchester City.
The season then began terribly as it seemed as though Arsenal would not only miss out on a top four finish, but even worse, it appeared Tottenham would be the club to push them out of the Champions League places.
Yet the form of one man in particular meant that there was a huge turnaround in fortunes. Robin van Persie stayed fit for the entire campaign and fired in 30 league goals as the Gunners managed to claim a third place finish and Champions League football for another season.
The Dutch striker now has just one-year left on his contract and, as of yet, has not indicated whether or not he will be staying at the Emirates for another season.
What Van Perise has witnessed is the addition of some firepower with the arrival of Podolski and Giroud. The Frenchman at 6ft 3" is the archetypal target man, while the German international can operate either as a striker, or wide on the left..
They would certainly make a for a dangerous front three, and there is every reason for Arsenal fans to get excited about a campaign in which they have some serious attacking talent.
However, there is still that niggling doubt in the back of the mind. Is Giroud there to support Van Persie, or to replace him? The former Montpellier man says it is the former.
“Van Persie is a fantastic player who was outstanding last season. He has been at Arsenal for eight years, I hope I will have time to adapt and improve," he told L'Equippe. “Anyway, I don't go there to take his place.”
While it is reassuring to hear these comments, until Van Persie actually puts pen to paper on a new deal there will always be a growing concern that he will receive an offer that is simply too good to turn down.
Arsenal have not win a trophy since the FA Cup in 2005. Nasri and Clichy had instant success at Manchester City, while Fabregas found the lure of a return home to Barcelona too good to turn down.
With some of Europe's biggest names showing an interest in Van Persie, would Arsenal fans be willing to accept his departure if a mammoth offer came in or do the club need to do everything in their power to keep him?
Let us know your thoughts….
