Pressure on for Arsenal captain Robin van Persie

Arsenal would like Robin Van Persie's departure from the club resolved this week, but have still received nothing like the £20m-plus valuation on the player from Juventus, Manchester United and Manchester City – the three clubs interested in signing him.

With Van Persie absent from the club's tour of Asia, Arsenal would like to agree a deal before they return. However, Juventus, the player's preferred choice, have opened with a bid of £8m and United at around £12m. The decisive point will be if City chose to out-bid both, putting pressure on Van Persie, who regards them as his third choice.

He will then have to decide whether to hold out for Juventus, or even United, and face the possibility of Arsenal keeping him for the final year of his contract.