Arsene Wenger reiterated Arsenal must keep club captain Robin Van Persie "at all costs" as the Gunners look to sort out the future of their best player.
The Robin Van Persie saga has started to look like the ones of Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri last season, with the supporters unaware of what is going to happen. Fabregas and Nasri moved to Barcelona and Manchester City respectively at the end of the transfer window, leaving Arsenal little time to look for replacements.
Van Persie, who has just one year remaining on his contract, is being chased by Juventus, Manchester City and Paris St Germain, with the Italian club reportedly making an official offer, albeit a small one.
It is understood, City are ready to bid £20 million ($31 million) and offer £200,000 per week ($310,000) wages. While Juventus are not prepared to offer that much money for a player who will turn 29 in August, it is believed PSG would not have any problems matching that salary and transfer fee.
If forced to sell, Arsenal will be desperate not to give Van Persie away to an English Premier League rival.
However, Wenger hopes Van Persie will stay. "We want to keep Robin van Persie at all costs, because we depend on him offensively," Wenger wrote on his blog for Eurosport.
"I have always supported him even in the hardest times, and I hope he will end his career at Arsenal."
Arsenal have already completed the signing of two offensive-minded players in Lukas Podolski and Olivier Giroud and Wenger sees a positive future for Arsenal's new French striker, who made a £13 million ($20 million) move from Montpellier.
"I have known Olivier Giroud for some time," the Frenchman added.
"The first time I saw him, I found he had something intelligent and dangerous. I always said he could score goals and assist his partners.
"Our game is based on cooperation between the players in the offensive phase and he will integrate easily.
"I don't like simple goalscorers, they must also add to the collective.
"He is good in the air which is rare (for an Arsenal player). He is quite complete and has a great room for improvement."
