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Wednesday, 15 August 2012

Robin Van Persie: A statement of intent from Manchester United

The signing of Robin Van Persie has been agreed by Manchester United and Arsenal for a fee of £24m. The deal is still dependent on the formalities of a successful medical and agreeing personal contract details. This has brought to an end one of this summers biggest transfer rambling. Van Persie, or RVP as he is called, had openly stated he was not willing to sign a new contract and that left him open to a move away from the north London club.

Over the last few years, Manchester United have lost out to some of their bigger transfer targets as rival clubs came through with bigger financial packages. Even this year, Sir Alex's biggest target was Lucas Moura. The deal took an age and with everything agreed in came PSG and signed the 19 year old Brazilian up for, what is reported, an astronomical amount of money. With Kagawa and Nick Powell already in, some thought that was it for this window by United, but no Fergie wanted to make a statement.

A statement of intent was needed, not just to strengthen the personnel within the squad but to send out a message to the competitors; a statement to the rest of the squad that this is United and we will stay at the top.

In a space of 24 hours, a deal has been struck with Arsenal to go with Danny Welbeck signing a new deal; add that to the signing of Chilean 18 year old, Anjelo Henriquez also signing on the dotted line. That makes it three strikers signing up in this time.

Now the question is how United will play, and the answer no-one but Fergie knows. I for one see it as a diamond with Carrick, Scholes, Anderson, Fletcher and Jones able to play at the base with Kagawa or Welbeck playing at the tip. Either way, United now have a strike duo who scored 71 goals combined last season and finished player and runner-up of the season. The statement has been made, now over to you City; let's see what you are made off.

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