Barcelona deny they are planning summer swoop for Van Persie

Barcelona will NOT be launching a summer bid for Arsenal striker Robin Van Persie, according to a club spokesman.

The 28-year-old, who has just been named Footballer of the Year by the PFA and the FWA, is out of contract at Arsenal at the end of next season, fuelling suggestions that he could bring his Emirates Stadium tenure to an end this summer.

Speculation over van Persie’s future went into overdrive last week after van Persie was spotted at the same hotel Barcelona were staying at prior to their Champions League clash with Chelsea.

However, club spokesman Toni Freixa has denied reports that Barcelona will move for the Dutchman at the end of the season, claiming his visit to the hotel was purely for social reasons.

"For Barça, any good player is of interest - and van Persie is a great player. But [we have] no intention of signing him for now," said Freixa, speaking to The Sport Review.

"He came to our hotel in London because he is Dutch and so is Ibrahim Afellay. They had a coffee together. He didn’t come to see us and there was no conversation."