Robin van Persie is a name that Manchester United fans will never tire of hearing.
Not just because the player is synonymous to the club’s last Premier League title, but because of the context of the transfer itself. The Dutchman departed Arsenal for bigger and better things – after 8 years at the Emirates, Van Persie had just one FA Cup to show for his work.
It took just one season in Manchester to rectify that, with the striker leading the Red Devils to their 13th Premier League title. The story is, of course, well documented, as is the player’s decision to leave the Gunners.
Van Persie has recently been speaking about the subject on Kaj Gorgels‘ YouTube channel. He stated: “At Arsenal, I didn’t feel like we were on the level to compete. One day, The chairman of Arsenal showed me how healthy the club was by showing me their positive numbers. I told him: ’I don’t give a sh*t about these numbers, I want to lift the Premier League trophy.
“We felt it would be best to leave for a club outside of England, the deal with Juventus was closed. But the chairman of Arsenal was stubborn towards Juventus. I told him that my other two other options were Manchester United or Manchester City, so it’s his own risk.”
As readers will be more than familiar with, the Dutchman crossed over to the red side of Manchester. Sir Alex Ferguson opted against his ‘traditional’ transfer recruitment, in signing the then 29-year-old, identifying him as a necessary purchase to win back their Premier League crown.
The manager and player shared this desire, with Van Persie explaining his motivation to join: “My departure from Arsenal to Manchester United is still a sensitive topic in England. But I wanted to win, I just wanted to win. And I had to take a risk for that.”
And win he did. That 12/13 season will forever be remembered by the Old Trafford faithful, with scarves and shirts still being sold to this day, with his face on. When fans can return to the Theatre of Dreams, his name will still be sung around all four corners of the stadium.
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