City Target Van Persie, Earn Record £98m From TV Rights

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New English Premier League champions, Manchester City, are ready to swoop for Robin van Persie.

The Arsenal skipper, will tomorrow hold showdown talks with Gunners Manager, Arsene Wenger, over his future.

The Dutch striker, 28, is entering the final year of his £80,000-a-week contract and new champs, City, are preparing an opening offer of £20million.

His agent, Kees Vos, has been spotted at the Etihad Stadium. Yet Vos said: “We’re keeping our negotiations confidential.

“I have been to a lot of Premier League games this season, including City ones.

“I watch a lot of players, my life does not revolve around Robin van Persie.”

Arsenal are expected to try to persuade Van Persie to agree a new four-year deal worth £130,000 a week.

They will also offer a £5million signing-on fee in a desperate bid to stop yet another one of their key players joining the exodus to the Etihad following Emannuel Adebayor, Kolo Toure, Gael Clichy and Sami Nasri.

One thing’s for sure, City are not going to stand still after their stunning title triumph.

As well as Player of the Year, Van Persie, they also expect to land £25million Lille midfielder, Eden Hazard.

City hitman, Sergio Aguero, said: “It can only be good when you strengthen during the summer period.”

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Meanwhile, City’s income from broadcast payments while winning the title hit a Premier League record $97.6 million.

Unlike many other leagues the income is not skewed in favour of the top sides, with half the domestic TV cash and all the overseas rights income split equally between the 20 clubs.

“We believe the way we distribute broadcast income plays a part in allowing each club to compete at the highest level,” Premier League chief executive, Richard Scudamore, said in a statement today.

Each club received an equal share of $22.1 million from domestic broadcasters, $30.1 million from overseas broadcast rights, plus $1.2 million for each place they finished in the final standings.

Around $917,870 is also paid out each time a club features in live TV matches.

That meant Arsenal earned $90.5 million while finishing third, but fourth-place Tottenham earned $92.4 million after playing in 23 live TV games compared to their north London rival’s 19.

Bottom-place Wolverhampton Wanderers earned $62.3 million.

City have also apologised to Manchester United boss, Sir Alex Ferguson, after striker, Carlos Tevez, held up a banner goading his former manager.

Tevez has also expressed his regret after he was pictured with a sign which read ‘RIP Fergie’ during City’s celebratory title-winning parade in Manchester.

The 28-year-old is thought to have been passed or thrown the banner by a fan as City’s open-top bus made its way through the city centre with the squad and the Barclays Premier League trophy.

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