Gunners keep powder dry as others spend up

The 'will he stay, or will he go' saga surrounding Arsenal captain Robin van Persie will be answered only after the final whistle at Euro 2012, but one thing is clear, if the Dutchman decides to leave it will be vindication of how tightly the financial ship is run by the Gunners.

This is the underlying message Arsenal chief executive Ivan Gazidis stresses during an interview with the Sunday Morning Post. The rest of the English Premier League might be in the red, but that colour can be associated with Arsenal only by their playing strip.

'Arsenal are not in the red. We have always run our club a little differently,' Gazidis says proudly. 'We have not relied on outside investment for our success and we only spend what we earn, which is basic budgeting, something any household is familiar with.'

This basic household accounting, prudent expenditure successfully keeping down costs, could also mean the end to an eight-year relationship between Arsenal and Van Persie. Rumours are abuzz the Dutch master, who is under contract for another year, could make a lucrative move to another club in the Premier League with champions Manchester City the prime suspects to lure him.

Arsenal chairman Peter Hill-Wood was quoted in the British media recently as saying 'if somebody comes along and offers Robin GBP250,000 (HK$3.02 million) a week then I am afraid we cannot compete with that'.

Gazidis, who was in town this week for the official announcement of Arsenal's visit next month to take on Hong Kong champions Kitchee, refuses to speculate about his star player but sings from the same hymn book as his chairman.