Manchester City are preparing a £30 million January bid for Arsenal captain Robin van Persie.

The Mail on Sunday says City will make a £30million swoop for Arsenal captain Van Persie if contract talks between the crisis club and the disaffected star make no progress before the January transfer window.

Sources close to Van Persie say he is deeply disillusioned over the summer departures of Cesc Fabregas to Barcelona and Samir Nasri and Gael Clichy to City.

Van Persie scored twice in Saturday's 3-0 win over Bolton but if he chooses to follow his former team-mates out of the club it will add to the feeling that Arsene Wenger's side, who have made Arsenal's worst start to a League season for 58 years, are unravelling.

Van Persie's contract - thought to be worth £80,000 a week - runs out in 2013, meaning the club would be forced to sell him by next summer if they wanted any financial return.