Arsenal Transfer News: Juventus Want Robin Van Persie To Partner Luis Suarez

BBC Sports reports that the Italian champions have already got the message out to Van Persie that they want him to lead their frontline next season but they have yet to go back in with a second offer after an initial enquiry was rebuffed by Arsenal. As we reported yesterday, Sir. Alex Ferguson's Manchester United made an opening bid for Van Persie that was immediately dismissed by their North London rivals. Roberto Mancini's Premier League champions Manchester City however, have yet to show their cards with an opening offer. BBC Sport believes that United's low-opening bid was around the £10 million mark, some £15 million below Arsenal's own valuation. The Red Devils' bid may even have been less than Juventus' opening offer that was reported to be in the same range earlier this month, we believed as a tactic to unsettle the PFA Player of the Year into forcing through a transfer request. He didn't quite go that far but pretty much did... announcing a few days later on his own personal website that he had no intention of signing a contract extension to his deal that expires in one year's time. It is unknown which move the 28-year-old Dutch striker prefers but it is said all three interested parties will more than double his current wages. BBC sport believes Juventus' offer is worth around £190,000 a week but sporting director Giuseppe Marotta and president Andrea Agnelli are banking on the forward not being motivated necessarily by money and the chance to partner with Suarez in Serie A and the Champions League is their biggest carrot on the stick. Liverpool however have insisted all year that they have no desire to sell Suarez, who is under contract at Anfield for the next four years.