Van Persie keen to continue Cesc connection
Arsenal forward Robin van Persie is hoping club captain Cesc Fabregas will stay at the Gunners so the pair can continue their special 'connection'.
The Spanish midfielder, who has been a long term target for former club Barcelona, appears to have been perpetually linked with a return to the Catalan giants, with Arsenal forced to fend off constant speculation surrounding their captain.
Among those who regularly attempt to quell the rumours are manager Arsene Wenger and Fabregas’ team-mates, who realise that their attacking style of play hinges on his contributions.
Dutch hit-man Van Persie - currently on tour with the Gunners in Asia - has reiterated this stance and feels that his own performances would suffer if Fabregas were to leave Emirates Stadium.
"I think it will be hard. If I speak about my situation, he is the first one I look at if he is playing or not," he told the club's official website.
And he highlighted how the contributions of Fabregas are integral to his game.
"We have a connection together, he knows exactly when to pass, when to make his decisions. In his mind, he is quicker than most other players and that is very special," he said.
"For example, against Blackpool away [last season], he gave me four or five unbelievable passes in the first 18 minutes. I missed them but he gave them to me."
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Van Persie was full of praise for his captain and ended his commendation with one final plea for the 24-year-old to stay.
"He is a special player, he can see things quicker than others. He will be a miss for any team, that’s why I hope that he stays and we can play a bit longer together."
Gregg Davies is the Chief Sub Editor of FourFourTwo magazine, joining the team in January 2008 and spending seven years working on the website. He supports non-league behemoths Hereford and commentates on Bulls matches for Radio Hereford FC. His passions include chocolate hobnobs and attempting to shoehorn Ronnie Radford into any office conversation.