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The 28-year-old striker announced he would not be signing a new contract at Emirates Stadium, fueling speculation that he will be playing his football elsewhere next season

Bookmakers Paddy Power have cut the price on Robin van Persie joining Manchester City after the Dutch international stated that he would not be renewing his contract with Arsenal. The striker is now just 4/11 (1.36) to make the Premier League champions his next club.

Despite a disappointing summer which saw his country crash out of Euro 2012 at the earliest possible opportunity, last season's Premier League Golden Boot winner was always going to be the subject of speculation this summer. It seems that just a few days after the transfer window was opened, van Persie has made his intentions clear.

It also seems unlikely that Arsenal will let his contact expire, only for him to leave on a free transfer next term, especially as the Dutchman could still command a significant transfer fee after his 30 goals last season.

Van Perise has spoken of his desire to win trophies and with Arsenal's barren spell now stretching back seven years, a move to Premier League champions Manchester City could not only boost his chances of silverware, but also see his wages increase significantly.

A move to Juventus, who have also been linked to Van Persie in recent weeks, is priced at 9/2 (5.5) with Paddy Power. A seemingly less likely switch to the red half of Manchester to join forces with Sir Alex Ferguson is available at 11/2 (6.5) with the same firm.

Arsene Wenger has been busy in the transfer market himself, with the acquisition of forwards Lukas Podolski and Oliver Giroud leaving further questions over whether the 62-year-old Frenchman was trying to indicate Arsenal's intentions for the season ahead or to secure a replacement for Van Persie, should he move on before the beginning of the next campaign.

With the Dutch forward clearly opting for the latter of those two scenarios, the price available on a move to Etihad Stadium looks set to fall further with an apparent lack of serious competition for his signature.

Although money appears to be of very little object to Roberto Mancini, the fact that Van Persie only has a year left to run on his current Arsenal contract means he may be available at a smaller fee than that of the Italian's other high-profile targets this summer.

City are available at 5/4 (2.25) to win the Premier League next season with Manchester United next in the outright market at 9/4 (3.25), Arsenal are available at 11/1 (12.0) with Paddy Power.

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Jim Knight is Betting Editor at Goal.com and has been tipping football games since he was old enough to place a bet. He is a Leicester City fan, writer and member of the We Are Going Up Podcast
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