Barca ditch plan to sign Arsenal star Van Persie as they focus on Robinho

22 October 2009 16:14
Arsenal have seen off Barcelona's attempts to sign Holland forward Robin van Persie. The European champions have made Manchester City star Robinho their No 1 target for the January window after concluding that a move for Emirates idol Van Persie would be too difficult to pull off. With Barca also keen to eventually sign Cesc Fabregas at some point in the future, the Catalans are choosing their battles wisely and believe Brazil forward Robinho is a player they have more chance of landing. Andrey Arshavin was also on a long list of targets in the summer, along with Chelsea and Manchester United target Franck Ribery, and Valencia's David Silva, who has been attracting interest from Liverpool. Barca coach Pep Guardiola is desperate for his bosses to sign a player who can strengthen the left wing, particularly since the alarming drop in form of former Gunner Thierry Henry.

Source: Daily_Mail