Arsenal forward Robin van Persie has ended speculation on his future by penning a new long-term deal with the club. The Dutch forward was the Gunners' leading scorer last season with 20 goals from 44 appearances.

While the terms of the new contract for van Persie, who joined Arsenal from his home town club Feyenoord in 2004, have not been disclosed, it is reported to be worth around €92,000-a-week, which would make the Holland forward one of the highest paid players at Emirates Stadium.

"I have been at the club for five years now and there really is a great feeling here at Arsenal," Van Persie said this morning.

"We have a top-class manager, a squad full of superb young players, a world-class stadium and brilliant supporters.

"Arsenal have a very bright future and I want to be part of it."

Van Persie hinted he could now end his career at Emirates Stadium.

"My heart is with Arsenal and I just can't picture myself in a different shirt. I just can't see it now because I love this club so much.

"If you look at the last five years, look at the steps I have made every season, if you look at the support the boss and the whole club gave me, the fans gave me, my team-mates gave me - this is the right decision."

Meanwhile, Arsenal's board has decided against a proposed rights issue to generate new cash which was put forward and underwritten by the Russian oligarch Alisher Usmanov, the second biggest stakeholder at the club.

Chief executive Ivan Gazidis confirmed the subject was given due consideration, but has been turned down in favour of the status quo which sees the Emirates Stadium club remain self-financing.

Usmanov - whose Red & White Holdings group have a stake of around 25 per cent in the club's parent company - had argued the scheme would help to reduce both the long-term debt of some €463million, which is mainly associated with the new stadium, and also hand manager Arsene Wenger extra transfer funds.

However, Gazidis maintained Arsenal's current capital structure was "very efficient".

"The board, with its financial advisors Rothschild, considered thoroughly the proposal to use permanent equity capital to either pay down debt or to add to the club's spending in the transfer market," Gazidis said in an interview with the club's official website.

"With regard to debt, the conclusion reached is that the club has a very efficient capital structure with long-term debt on attractive interest rates.

"We can comfortably afford to meet the annual costs of this debt while at the same time generating surplus funds to invest in the club.

"Using permanent capital to pay down debt would not, therefore, radically transform the annual cash flow of the club."

Gazidis continued: "With regard to players, the board decided not to issue permanent capital in the hopes of signing one or two players in an inflated transfer market.

"Instead, the focus continues to be on securing the services of talented young players we have on long-term contracts and making very selective acquisitions, only where a new signing will add real value to our already strong squad."

Arsenal have, so far, only brought in Belgian defender Thomas Vermaelen in what is understood to be a €11.5million deal from Ajax.