Van Persie puts talks on hold

Arsenal captain Robin van Persie says he has put any contract negotiations with Arsenal on hold until the end of the season.

The Premier League’s leading goal scorer’s contract with Arsenal expires at the end of next season, and his failure to sign an extension has led to speculation about his future with the club.

The Netherlands international wrote in the club’s official matchday programme for their clash with fierce rivals Spurs on Sunday that he wants to postpone discussions on his future so he can focus on his football.

“There have been a lot of stories, generally contradictory ones, about my contract situation recently so I’d like to make it clear,” he said.

“There’s nothing complicated or sinister – the club and I have both agreed to speak at the end of the season and see how things stand. The boss, (Arsenal chief executive) Ivan Gazidis and I are all comfortable with it.”

“I need all my focus to be on football – on captaining this team, improving every day, doing extra work on the training pitch and preparing for the very busy schedule of fixtures we have.”

“If I look down the list, there’s not much time to sit down and think about anything else. For me, this is a time to play football and not speak about personal things.”

“All of my energy needs to go on getting this team where we want it to be this season.”