IanWright wrote:
Personally? I think Arsenal WILL sell Robin van Persie TO Manchester City toward the very end of the transfer window (don't be surprised if a couple of league fixtures have already been played before the deal is finalised). It'll probably be a cut-price deal, but better than what Manchester United and Juventus have to offer. The Etonian fat cats in the Arsenal board room will be laughin their way to the bank, glad they didn't wait til next summer when they could've ended up with nada.
I think it's a really interesting question as to where he goes and there are quite a lot of variables.
The fact that Arsenal made the United offer public to me suggests 100% that theirs was the lowest of three likely (from an Arsenal perspective) unacceptably low offers. Making that public is plainly aimed at stimulating some bidding competition between United and City. I would have done exactly the same.
From a Van Persie perspective I think there are a few issues for him to assess and make up his mind on;
In pure financial terms I would not be surprised if Juve were prepared to offer him, personally, the most lucrative deal, however:
a) they wont pay the most attractive fee to Arsenal and
b) the league in which he will play is not as attractive from a competitiveness and style perspective to him
but balanced against that...he might be a smash hit there. He will play every week and he will have a new cultural challenge and experience to enjoy
In terms of United....he will play more often than at City, he will be (with Rooney) the main man up front and will do so in a league with which he is comfortable and where he knows he can excel. BUT is his body up to the challenge of playing as often as United (or Arsenal) would like to use him. Maybe successful but likely shortening his career. They will pay Arsenal enough to sign him and him absolutely no more than they need to do in order to convince him.
From a City perspective, he won't play every week. From one angle that is a negative but with his injury record it can be viewed from his side as a plus. He would likely be rolled out for really big PL/CL games and mothballed to an extent. He will play for the champions who are likely favourites to retain that. He will play within a better team/squad than both alternative options. He'll get paid better than United even if less than Juve and Arsenal will get an acceptable fee...likely more than both other clubs.
Taking the blue blinkers off....if he makes a football decision it should be between City and United and if he is sensible, on balance, he would sign for us
