Man City plan £41m bid for Arsenal's predator

Manchester City are preparing an audacious £41 million bid for Arsenal's predator Robin van Persie who is the leading scorer in the Premier League this season.

The Dutch international has already scored 18 times for Arsenal this season, including four goals to take the side through to the last 16 of the Champions League.

Ironically, he failed to find the target during Arsenal 1-0 defeat against table leaders City at Etihad on Sunday.

The Arsenal skipper who has just 18 months left on his contract has put on hold discussion about his future until the end of the season.

But the Gunners will find it difficult to retain him unless they are prepared to pay a record fee for the 28-year-old who is three shy of equalling Alan Shearer's record of 36 goals during a calendar year.

Former Arsenal star Ray Parlour has urged Arsenal to break the bank to keep the striker at the club, in the wake of reported interest from Manchester City.

Parlour, who featured for the Gunners over 300 times in the 1990's and early 2000's, cited Thierry Henry as a good example of the fact that the club are willing to pay extra for talent that they have total faith in.

Despite a miserable start to the season, Arsenal are still boasting a great run of form, with van Persie the centre point of the side's resurgence.

Although manager Arsene Wenger has conceded Arsenal's title hopes are over after their latest setback, Parlour insists that if the Gunners want to enjoy success and keep their large fan base, they need to make a huge investment in keeping van Persie on board.

"Thierry Henry was on big money before he went, so they can do it, but it is all about the American backers," Parlour told Talksport.

"Are they going to say we can do this or are they going to stick to the strict wage structure which every single player is happy with and we are not going to break that

"I think they have to. He is such an important player for them and he's an Arsenal boy through and through.

"I just hope he stays and if it takes £130,000 or £140,000 a week then Arsenal have really got to think about giving it to him because he is such an important player for the future.

"He's helping the youngsters as well, the likes of Aaron Ramsey or Jack Wilshere coming through and he has been a brilliant skipper. He has got the dressing room exactly how it should be and that is important."

The radio station is claiming that Manchester City are preparing a £41 million bid for van Persie, with the club already raiding Arsenal last summer for the likes of Gael Clichy and Samir Nasri.

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