It's van Purse(i), not van Persie

0

Tweet

Gear up for one of the most controversial summer transfers. Robin van Persie to Manchester United is the highest profile transfer in world football since Luis Figo left Barcelona for archrivals Real Madrid 12 years ago. And we all know what happened to Figo when he faced Barcelona in Barcelona. He was welcomed with all kinds of abuses and even was hit by a pig's head while taking a corner.

The EPL has seen lots of high-profile transfers in the past. Fernando Torres' move from Liverpool to Chelsea and Samir Nasri leaving Arsenal for Manchester City are two of the biggest in recent times. But van Persie's transfer is not just about football. Arsenal, one of the best clubs to bring out special talents, sold their captain and last year's golden boot winner to their greatest rivals.

The clubs' rivalry has mellowed, yes, but moving from Emirates to Old Trafford or vice-verca is nothing less than a crime. Van Persie's move to United will have a massive impact in the future. Players, managers, clubs and fans will all be affected by this deal and there are bound to be some big winners and some even bigger losers from it all. Surely Arsenal fans will be cursing this move and at the same time Man Utd fans, including me, can't stop smiling.

How will Arsenal be affected by this?

Arsene Wenger has this season completely remodeled Arsenal's attack and is banking on Olivier Giroud, Lukas Podolski and Santi Carzola. If reports are to be believed, the club may also get in Nuri Sahin to replace Alex Song, who also has left Arsenal for Barcelona in search of trophies. So losing RVP is not that bad at all keeping in mind the summer business they have done. But it all boils down to how the new players adjust to English football and how the dressing room copes after losing two of their main players from last season.

Arsenal, trophy-less for the past seven seasons, are desperate to break the jinx, but with the current squad their main aim will be to finish in the top four. The race for a top-four spot is going to be close this season, meaning that having one less star striker at the club can make a huge difference. Though they have the likes of Cazorla and Podolski, not having RVP could turn out to be the difference between fourth and fifth this year. They have started the season with a goalless draw against Sunderland and some section of the fans jeered their team and manager after the full-time whistle. If Wenger does not get fans onto his side quickly, it could be a long season ahead for Arsenal.

What does the RVP singing mean to Manchester United?

Although a fee of 24 million pounds for a player who has just one year on his contract sounds over the top, it is believed that this is actually including the add-ons based on performance. The actual initial fee is reportedly close to 15 million pounds. If true, then United have done a brilliant piece of business. The fiercest critics will point to van Persie's age of 29 and his injury record in the past but they should keep in mind that United already have the likes of Wayne Rooney, Javier Hernandez and Danny Welbeck in their ranks, and, of course, Dimitar Berbatov and Macheda if they are not sold. So this means that Sir Alex Ferguson has the luxury of resting van Persie whenever he looks tired or dodgy. United started their campaign with a 0-1 loss against Everton and RVP was used as a sub for the last 20 minutes. He hardly made an impact but Fergie won't be worried as the season is less than a week old.

Since Berbatov was secured for 30.75-million pounds, Fergie has tried and failed to land David Villa, Karim Benzema, Wesley Sneijder and Samir Nasri. So surely the marquee signing of RVP has given United fans something to be excited about. And moreover, United's style suits van Persie. The service from out wide, whether from Antonio Valencia, Nani or Ashley Young, will bring real joy for van Persie, so rest assured there will be goals in him at United as well. Obviously Arsenal fans will be disappointed to lose yet another star player and captain but before this Arsenal have survived. Although I'm a United fan, I still think they will manage without him.