Published: Today at 12:28
ROBIN VAN PERSIE said his visit to Barcelona’s team hotel this week was just to see a mate.
The Arsenal skipper, 28, was pictured at the London stop-over of the Catalans on Tuesday but denied he was about to quit the Gunners for Spain.
He said: “The explanation is really very simple. My very good friend Ibrahim Afellay plays for Barcelona.
“After a bad long-term injury, he was finally back with the team.
“This was an opportunity for me to go and visit a close friend, show him my support and catch up.
“Unfortunately, this had to be at the hotel, because he was not permitted to leave it.
“I was wearing my Arsenal tracksuit and we sat down by the reception to have a chat and some food — everyone could see us and there was nothing to hide.
“I can’t imagine anyone conducting transfer negotiations in these circumstances.”
The Holland star, who has just over a year left on his Arsenal contract, added: “I do have a social life next to football, even if my wife tells me that it sometimes doesn’t seem that way!
“Nothing has changed in the sense that my intention remains to discuss my future in the summer.”
Van Persie also hit back at Gary Caldwell’s claim that he refused to shake the Wigan captain’s hand after Arsenal’s shock 2-1 defeat on Monday night.
He said: “I was quite surprised by his reaction, and the fact that it made such news in the media.
“If you look properly at what happened, I offered him my left hand but he refused it and acted like the innocent party — so all the reaction has been a little over the top.
“There were no bad intentions on my side. In football, you can win and lose — that is part of the game, and of course I will always be disappointed with a defeat, but not to the point that I refuse to shake my opponent’s hand.
“Not everything is always as it looks.”
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