Football transfer rumours: Robin van Persie staying put

Aghast at talk suggesting he could be the next player to head north from Manchester City's feeder club Arsenal, Robin van Persie has announced that he has no intention of leaving the Gunners. "I am committed to Arsenal and that's how it is, despite people making up stories," he wrote in his programme notes, ahead of his side's 2-1 win over Sunderland yesterday afternoon, pointedly taking a swipe at august purveyors of football transfer tittle-tattle such as ... um, the Rumour Mill. Van Persie's refusal to sign a contract extension at the Emirates had fuelled talk that he might be planning to up sticks and head elsewhere, as had his decision to put his house on the market, but the Arsenal skipper insists folk are reading too much into his domestic arrangements. "The house has been for sale for a while, but I'm not living on the streets or anything," he said from his park bench. "I have found a really nice house, and yes, it's in London." So now you know. Everton fans will be beside themselves with delight upon hearing that their impoverished club may be on the verge of actually signing a player for the first time since bringing Earl Barrett in from Aston Villa in 1995. Toffees boss David Moyes wants to bring Bosnian striker Vedad Ibišević in from Bundesliga side Hoffenheim, but will face competition from Blackburn Rovers in the race to secure the player's signature. The subject of a controversial transfer when his former club Le Havre accused Manchester United of tapping him up, French starlet Paul Pogba is the subject of Mirror speculation suggesting he "wants better terms". And having already failed with a £300,000 bid to prise 18-year-old tyro David Mellor away from Oldham Athletic, Fulham manager Martin Jol will make an improved £500,000 bid for the midfielder in January.