United relish prospect of a free-scoring attack
If nothing else next season, Manchester United supporters should be guaranteed goals. Lots of them, in fact. The impending arrival of Robin van Persie at Old Trafford will see last season’s Player of the Year join forces in attack with the runner-up. If United supporters were pining for Sir Alex Ferguson to make a marquee signing, it was a longing shared by Wayne Rooney.
With Van Persie as his sidekick, though, there is no telling the damage Rooney may now wreak on defences. Shinji Kagawa, the Japan forward signed from Borussia Dortmund this summer, may also be licking his lips at the prospect of having Van Persie and Rooney to thread balls through to.
United may still be crying out for a powerhouse in central midfield, and with no cover at left back for Patrice Evra and uncertainty over how Nemanja Vidic might perform after nine months out with ruptured knee ligaments, there could be some anxious moments defensively but the combination of that and a free-scoring attack could make for an entertaining spectacle.
United’s delight will have contrasted starkly with the disappointment felt at Arsenal and Manchester City, but if Arsenal fans were feeling nauseous last night, they could take some comfort in the knowledge that Roberto Mancini would have been feeling equally sick. Having identified Van Persie and Javi Martínez as his leading targets this summer, the City manager was forced to sit back and watch both as good as sign elsewhere — Martínez joined Bayern Munich — on the same day.
As for Arsenal fans, the only thing worse than selling Van Persie to United might have been offloading him to City, who have signed four of their former players in the past three years. A fifth would have been too much to stomach.
Arsène Wenger infamously declared last summer that Arsenal could no longer be considered a big club if Cesc Fàbregas and Samir Nasri were sold. They were, of course, and 12 months later Van Persie has followed suit. On top of that, Theo Walcott has only 11 months left on his contract and no new talks are planned. So what does that now make Wenger’s team?
Taken in isolation, netting a fee in excess of £20 million for a 29-year-old with a suspect fitness record would ordinarily constitute good business, but Van Persie’s situation cannot be taken in isolation. His defection to United offers a wider indication of the malaise that has set in at Arsenal or, rather, the battle they are facing just to remain in touch at the top of the Barclays Premier League.
Red, red Robin
• Injury disrupted each of Robin van Persie’s first seven seasons at Arsenal after he arrived from Feyenoord in 2004.
• In January 2007, his season ended early when he broke a metatarsal while celebrating a goal against Manchester United.
• In 2007-08, a variety of injuries limited him to 15 league games. Two seasons later he was sidelined from November to April after injuring himself when on duty with Holland.
• Last season Van Persie, clear of injury at last, played in every league game and was named player of the season by the PFA and football writers.
• He did not score more than 11 goals in any of his first six seasons at Arsenal.
• In 2010-11, Van Persie managed 18 league goals and that figure rose to 30 last season.
I think I might cry with joy if that happened. I think it's far more likely to be bad news though.