Van Persie: Unity is key for Gunners

Robin van Persie maintains togetherness will be the key to Arsenal's success next season, but is not about to "throw himself off a bridge" should the Gunners latest quest for glory come up short.

The 25-year-old, who last week committed his long-term future to the Emirates Stadium club, returned to pre-season training today having been given some extra time off following summer international duty.

Van Persie, voted the Arsenal.com player of the season, endured a relatively injury-free campaign to finish as leading scorer with 20 goals from his 44 appearances.

That alone, though, was not enough to help drive Arsene Wenger's young Gunners on to what has proved an illusive first piece of silverware since the 2005 FA Cup.

Much has been made of Arsenal's policy in continuing to trust in the potential of youth to deliver, with so far only Belgian defender Thomas Vermaelen, 23, having been added to the first-team squad.

Van Persie, signed from Feyenoord in 2004, knows full well of the level of expectation facing the current Gunners side, and is confident with everyone working together, the success craved can be achieved.

"We just need to lift a trophy," Van Persie told Arsenal TV Online. "It is not that if we don't then I will be really, really upset and throw myself off a bridge, but I will just keep going and going until I get my trophy.

"Everyone needs to understand we have to do it together. I cannot do it myself, no-one can. We need to do it all together and we will win a trophy. I am just waiting to share that moment with the fans, with the team, with the whole Arsenal family."

Van Persie described his award, voted for by a poll of supporters on the official club website, as the "best honour".

The Dutchman, though, vowed he would not rest on his laurels.

"I do not feel that I am [yet] at my best," he said. "If you look at my stats [last season], I scored 20 goals, but if you look at how many times I hit the post or the bar, or just missed the target, you could add 10 goals to that. If you are a bit more lucky and you have a fantastic year, then I can have even better stats.

"I feel there is a possibility to do so. That is my target for next year - I want to have better stats, to play more games, score more goals and make more assists."

While Van Persie may be set to lead the Gunners attack again next season, just who lines up alongside him remains open to debate.

Manchester City are reported to be ready to move for Togo striker Emmanuel Adebayor, with a bid of some £25million said to be on the table from the cash-rich Eastlands club.

Should Adebayor, also a target for AC Milan, be allowed to leave, then that could pave the way for Wenger to step up his interest in Bordeaux's Moroccan international Marouane Chamakh.

Arsenal are also understood to be in the market for a holding midfielder, but look to have missed out on Brazilian Felipe Melo, set for a switch to Juventus from Fiorentina, while Udinese's Swiss international Gokhan Inler claims he is unaware of any official interest from long-term admirer Wenger.