Robin van Persie is one of those nasty Dutch bastards who you love when they play for you and hate when they play against you. Whilst I can understand why rival fans wouldn’t like him too much, I’ve always really rated him. It’s rare that I have such a high opinion of a rival team’s player but van Persie is a player I’ve sung the praises of time and again.
This morning’s papers have linked us with a move for the 25-year-old striker and whilst you can’t put blind faith in what some rag has to say, is it really the most outrageous suggestion that we could be after him?
Van Persie has just one year left on his current deal and has aspirations higher than what Arsenal can meet at the moment.
Whilst selling to a rival club would usually bring about a massive price-tag, if a deal was even possible, we are in a better position because time is running out on his contract. Arsenal lost Flamini in the same way last summer and will not want to make the same mistake again. The last time the contract renewal was mentioned in the press came from a van Persie interview at the end of May.
“The club and I have not been able to make any headway,” he told De Telegraaf. “But maybe I will soon have something new to report. That is all I have to say on this now.”
The major hold back would arguably be his fitness, as he is prone to injury, which could bite us in the arse if we’ve forked out a reasonable sum for him. Despite that though, his statistics are pretty good.
08/09 – Played 44, scored 20, assisted 15 (behind a goal in 80% of games played)
07/08 – Played 23, scored 9, assisted 4 (behind a goal in 57% of games played)
06/07 – Played 31, scored 13, assisted 8 (behind a goal in 68% of games played)
Would you want him at Old Trafford and how much do you think we would have to pay?
MKRed @ 11:26 – your second point – the signing of Tosic and Ljajic as pre-emptive moves ahead of Ronaldo’s departure – is probably quite true.
Nohting is going to happen on the UTD transfer-front until the Ronaldo signs for TheVirus and the cheque clears; then, the Tevez situation needs to be clarified – will he re-sign/won’t he ?
Once those two issues are resolved then I would imagine that the contingency plans will get a chance to unfold. I’m kinda surprised that no one has yet mentioned the noises being reported from Lyons that they don’t think they can hold on to Benzema which makes me wonder if they are preparing their supporters for his departure. There’s also been a lot of noise around the Douglas Costa transfer, too. When you add this up with the public statement that big money won’t be spent on older players then I think you can see which way the wind is going to blow.
Meanwhile, don’t forget to check your computers every thirty minutes !
niksch – what like you’ve been on the slide since Vieira’s left!? You’ve won fuck all since he’s left the club. We’ve sold players and have still been successful. You Prick.
I love the guy, I’d deffo have him!
For 20 mil or something more, we could get a deal. He could buy his contract and come to United, would be an amazing play.
Would like him here, if he could stay fit.
denton – Yes I saw those comments by the Lyon director. Coupled with the fact that Benzema has also said he won’t ask for a move but if the manager wants to sell then he has no choice, hopefully a move to Old Trafford could be on the cards.
RVP- no thanks. he is another saha waiting to happen.
i would love to see benzema at united- i think he is just what we need, but i don’t want to hear another player say he dreams of playing in spain.
also, i haven’t been able to stop watching the highlight video of costa… obviously it is early, but i really think with fergie’s guidance he could be a world class player.
I’m an Arsenal fan. Whoever said RVP is too left-footed, what games were you watching? Most his goals this season were with his right foot! He scored quality goals against Chelsea and LPool with his right.
I hope he stays at Arsenal. Also, he has 2 years left on his contract, not 1.
Douglas Costa is worse than Robinho was at that age. 20 million for an unproven kid who has only played 10 games?!?!?!?!?
Call me crazy, but RVP can be future Arsenal captain if we start winning. He showed those qualities this year. Notice how he was the only one counseling Gibbs after that slip at the Emirates, against United.
pat, get your facts straight, man. douglas costa was electric at the junior copa santiago tournament, and even more so in the south american youth championship (which brazil won).
Your crazy if you spend £20 million on Douglas Costa. The guy looks a talent but is totally unproven.
@Jonny:While Ronaldo was a superstar??If I remember right,he was a lanky,one-trick pony with braces.Look at him now.World Player of the Year,Ballon D’Or winner,been sold for 80 million pounds.
What? Douglas Costa is a totally different player to Ronaldo. Just because that gamble paid off doesn’t mean this one will. Remember Kleberson? What I’m saying is for £20 million you can get so much more. Costa is worth £10 million at a a real stretch.
Denton Davey, we often seem to be talking from the same script.
I, too, recognised the altering tone coming out of Lyon re Benzema and I noticed that he’s a 4 out of 5 certainty tip to join us on the Daily Mail website today. Also, the Costa thing has been running for months, so there’s probably something to it. He certainly looks the business on You|Tube clips.
But as I said nothing can happen until after June 30, when the window re-opens, which is why all the clauses in the supposed Ronaldo pre-contract had to be tied up by then.
Remember a couple of years ago. There was all sorts of speculation about who might and might not join us, just like the present, then suddenly United announced unheralded they had signed Hargreaves, Nani and Anderson in a single hit. Hargreaves was no secret; Nani had been heavily trailed but only a few were talking about Anderson. Sounds just like the current situation.
On a different tack – did anyone notice the gay picture of Fernando Torres on Page 3 of the Mail today and on their website? Seems that our song about the Albert Dock, etc, might not be so far off the mark…
i think it’s foolish to say costa isn’t worth 20 million… that sum is chump change in today’s market, where madrid drop 140 million on two players without thinking twice. 20 million is the standard now… look at glen johnson, 19 million? it’s a sign of the times.
OH FOR FUCKS SAKE NO. PLEASE…. SAF….. PLEASE….
DONT SIGN A GOONER .
FUCKING HELL SCOTTY WONT BE ABLE TO SLEEP NOW, BE HAVING NIGHTMARES ABOUT THE THOUGHT OF THAT GOBSHITE
……UUUGGGGHHH.!!
jonny, who do you think we could get for 20 million as opposed to costa? just curious…
and what do you guys think about m. diarra as a DMF?
I think Jonny is spot on…
Sanj — No thanks on M. Diarra. Just my opinion though… I think we should go with someone younger for that position… (Fernando from Porto!!)
I’d look at Mirko Vucinic- he’s been great at Roma, and he’s played in a system similar to United’s with alternating strikers and attacking midfielders. He’s only 25, has years of experience in Serie A and in Europe, and £20 million would be enough to tempt Roma I think.
Or £20 million might be enough to get Steven Defour and Axel Witsel from Standard Liege, both excellent young midfielders.
PG did you travel up to man shitty and watch van play that day?? did you travel to stoke and watch van get himself red carded? did you get over the emirates to the CL semi and watch him stand next to alex song for half the game?,van is overated and for a player who takes all free kicks and all penaltys,adebayor is better value,he was better when he was a sub 3 or 4 years ago,id take the ten or 15 and get huntelaar,any forward in arsenas team should be scoring 30 goals with the chances created,.its no coincidence that when van was injured ade hit 30 and when van came back this season we struggled for goals,the mans a ball hog
oh and anyone sayin van for afc captain your having a laugh, the geezer couldnt play at bolton away because he was fasting,and that turned out to be one of our best performances
jonny, weren’t we linked with witsel already? maybe during the winter? read up on him, seems like a prospect.
Haven’t seen much of Witsel other than the odd Belgian league and Belgium national team highlights, but what I have seen he looks so composed on the ball and his technical ability is high for someone so young. He and Defour will be at top European clubs sooner or later, no doubt.
seems everton, villa, and arsenal are interested in the duo with bidding to start at 12 mil.
For both? Money well spent.
what about that vucinci (spelling guy) the roma striker, hes a poacher would fit in well for united.
i’d bloody love de rossi from roma as well!
RVP- away and shite….
No.
But i didn’t want Berba at the club for some time.
But in the end the answer will be no anyway i think. Berba is much better.
not sure if it’s for both, i’d imagine it’s individual.
Are we shopping for Hargreaves replacement in the physio room already? Good player, seems a twat though.
Van persie?! an injury prone rapist. No thanks
@arsene wanker
jonny evens is no rapist…piss off to a gooners site wif comments like that