Man Utd and Spurs monitoring contract of free-scoring Dutchman
Published:Robin Van Persie is not the only Dutchman yet to consolidate their future plans, as Schalke find themselves in a similar position to Arsenal with Klaas-Jan Huntelaar.
Van Persie’s scoring exploits have been well documented at Arsenal and he has scored 33 goals in all competitions for the Gunners to help them sit third in the Premier League.
However, he is yet to agree to a new contract, which is a big worry for Arsenal fans with his present deal set to expire in 2013.
Despite this prolific record, Van Persie is actually outdone in the scoring stakes by compatriot Huntelaar, who took his seasonal tally to 40 goals in 38 appearances with both goals in Schalke’s 2-0 Bundesliga victory over Bayer Leverkusen.
Schalke remain in pole position to return to the Champions League next season, but even though the club is preparing a bumper wage package, it seems unlikely that he will stay.
Huntelaar has taken any immediate pressure off his shoulders by indicating that he will not consider his options until the end of Euro 2012 and there are a number of clubs that will be eager to take advantage of a cut-price deal to secure his services.
The German club face a tricky decision in whether to keep Huntelaar for next season and accept that he will leave on a free when his contract expires or lose his goals but get some money from a potential suitor.
Manchester United and Tottenham are heading the Premier League chase, with Sir Alex Ferguson looking to find a replacement for the outgoing Dimitar Berbatov and Spurs generally hopeful of improving their squad.
The pair may also hold the advantage over clubs including Juventus because the Premier League is the one top division where he is yet to put his skills to the test.
Huntelaar will not have the fondest memories of either Spain or Italy thanks to relatively disappointing spells at both Real Madrid and AC Milan, where he found first team opportunities hard to come by.
This may also be the case at Manchester United and so there is a chance he may favour Spurs, although they will need to qualify for the Champions League to stand any chance of competing with the bigger European clubs.
Tottenham’s odds are 1/8 to finish in the Premier League top four and they currently sit five points ahead of nearest chasers Chelsea.
