£24m for a 29 year old with a terrible injury record. Mental.
Glad it’s over before the season started anyway.
I don’t think he envisaged ending up at United when he released that statement on July 4th (and ruined my holiday) but he had no choice but to leave now. Probably expected offers from Barca, Real, City, Juve and PSG also.
Onwards and upwards as someone rightly tweeted this week - the last time an Arsenal squad didn’t contain Van Persie they went unbeaten for the season and ended up winning the league.
Some stats I just worked out: (starts + sub appearances, (goals), percentage games started, percentage of games participated in) as an Arsenal player:
If United have limited funds to play with I’m surprised they’re paying that much for Van Persie and leaving the midfield untouched. I know Kagawa has joined but he’s very much an attacking threat - they don’t have good enough ball players in deep areas.
As long as they don’t address the gaping midfield problem, you would feel that success will be limited even with a potentially potent strike force - particularly in Europe.
It could be that Arsenal agreed to the transfer tonight because they feared losing out on other targets. They needed to free up some wages to get Sahin in so hopefully they can hijack Liverpool’s bid.
I wouldn’t have expected Wenger to splash out all the fee on a direct replacement for Van Persie but they need to spend some of it on a decent third choice striker and the rest on someone like Sahin. If all the £24m remains unspent there should be some fans protests alright. I presume Usmanov will be issuing more statements now too.
Regarding Song, I don’t think fans will be too upset at getting £20m for him if someone like M’Vila is brought in. A more defensive minded midfielder is needed and for all Song’s qualities, he gets caught forward too often.
Would M’Vila not replace Song if he goes? Arsenal need another striker if Van Persie goes as well. Park, Chamakh and Bendtner are all duds and Giroud is a bit of gamble, they could with a striker with some sharp movement and goal scoring instincts in the squad as well - someone in the mould of Franny Jeffers. Surely the Arsenal fans will be calling for Wenger’s head if they don’t get another 2/3 big signings in with Van Persie and Song leaving?
I think it’s a very good bit of business by Manchester United even given the price and van Persie’s age, if they can even get two good seasons out of him.
I concur with Monkey above, wouldn’t be too upset at losing Song. He’s meant to be the defensive on in the midfield trio but he’s far more interested in threading balls through to the strikers / wingers. If Song goes they will certainly sign a replacement. The M’Villa talk seems to have gone very quiet though.
Arsenal’s attackers on the books are: Giroud, Podolski, Walcott, Gervinho, Oxlaide-Chamberlain, Arshavin, Bendtner, Park, Chamakh. I can’t see anyone being brought in until Bendtner, Park and Chamakh are shifted - easily £150,000 a week in wages there.
I’d be more interested in them signing some cover at right back than another attacker, they only have Jenkinson and Yennaris at the moment as cover for Sagna.
I agree. This is no gamble at all - a gamble is £35m on Carroll. United are getting a proven and feared goal scorer. Yes he has injury history but SAF will not use him in 100% of games as we have great back up in Wellbeck & Hernandez.
I for one am highly excited at the prospect of Kagawa, Valencia and Young feeding Rooney & RVP. Roll on Monday night!
Agreed. I think it is a great signing for Utd. They should get a few years out of him. He’s a player who isn’t dependant on pace so his advancing years shouldn’t be much of an issue as he has great feet and a great brain.
I would just like to reiterate my hope that Van Persie is either riddled with injuries during his tenure with utd, or he suffers a career ending injury early on. What a utterly despicable character he is.
Rennes have signed Jean Makoun today which would suggest that M’Vila is on the way out. I’d be surprised if he didn’t end up at Arsenal.
Still a lot of dealings to be done at Arsenal so it’s yet another season of transition. There are at least 5 players that should be moved on and need another striker, full back and midfielder.
Great deal for Arsenal, Van Persie is injury prone, in the last year of his contract and nearing 30. United could have got Zlatan for the same fee and Zlatan is twice the player Van Persie will ever be. Zlatan is also a winner while Van Persie is a perennial loser. If Wenger had any sense about him he would pick up Pazzini for £7-8m as his replacement.