Wenger: Van Persie left Arsenal for trophies

Arsene Wenger believes that Robin van Persie’s decision to leave Arsenal for Manchester United was motivated by a desire to win trophies

The Dutchman makes his first return to the Emirates since the move on Sunday and Wenger has admitted that he was entirely unable to convince Van Persie his future was in London.

“There’s a kind of timescale – like for a woman who has no baby at 39. She starts to think I have not much time left now,” the Arsenal boss said.

“It is difficult for all the players when a player does not want to be here, to force him to be here and know that at the end of the season the club does not get anything with knowing that he might not contribute as well. So you are twice a loser.

“We have lost some other big players like Thierry Henry, Patrick Vieira, they had won with the club and they were around 30 or 31. He could help us to win because we haven’t won for a few years. That he left before that, was frustrating for us.”