Anzhi Makhachkala plan Van Persie move - Roberto Carlos
- Published
Roberto Carlos, joint manager of Anzhi Makhachkala, claims his big-spending Russian club are considering a move for Arsenal's Robin van Persie.
Brazilian Carlos also named Chelsea's Nicolas Anelka and Santos' Neymar amongst his employers' targets.
"We want to make a club the calibre of Real Madrid or Barcelona," Carlos told French TV show Canal Football Club.
Anzhi bought striker Samuel Eto'o from Inter Milan in August on wages estimated to amount to £8.7m per year.
Chelsea wing-back Yuri Zhirkov and PSV Eindhoven winger Balazs Dzsudzsak have also headed East in lucrative moves.
Former Brazil left-back Carlos, 38, was the first big arrival at the Dagestan club when he joined as a player in February, external and was made joint caretaker manager after head coach Gadzhi Gadzhiyev was dismissed in September.
The 2002 World Cup winner believes that the club's billionaire owner Suleyman Kerimov will continue to aggressively pursue the game's top stars.
"Anelka is not the only player," Carlos added when asked about possible moves.
"Nene from PSG and Van Persie from Arsenal are players we are following. And Neymar? I talked to him.
"If Real, Barca or Manchester United cannot pay the transfer fee, we will pay it. Suleyman Kerimov can offer what he wants."
Van Persie, who scored his 100th Arsenal goal in the 3-0 win against Bolton on 24 September, has yet to open talks on an extension to his current contract at the Emirates Stadium which expires in June 2013.
Anzhi, whose players live and train in Moscow for security reasons and travel 1,250 miles to Makhachkala for home games, lie eighth in the Russian Premier League.
- Published27 August 2011