adminThe 29-year old striker’s refusal to sign a new contract at the beginning of July signalled his intent to quit the Emirates, and he subsequently admitted that ‘the little boy inside me was screaming Man United.’
He still faced an anxious six-week wait before joining his club of choice, though, as Arsenal used strong interest from Manchester City and Juventus as a bargaining tool in negotiations over the fee.
United finally agreed to pay £24million and while his contribution to their Barclays Premier League title success may represent value for money, it was still seen as a lot for a player nudging 30.
As Van Persie looked back on his anxious wait to become Sir Alex Ferguson’s stellar signing of last summer, he described how brinkmanship in the Emirates boardroom left him on tenterhooks.
“It was [difficult] because it wasn’t only me who decided where I went to play,” the Holland striker said, in an interview with MUTV. “I also depended on my former club as well and how they saw it. And then of course you always have these games that the directors play.
“It’s a bit like a roller-coaster. Some days it is looking good and other days it is worse. You don’t really know what to expect because things can change so quickly. It normally depends on the player and the two teams, but in my case, there were two other teams involved as well.
“One was City and the other one was Juventus. So it was a bit hectic but I always wanted this transfer from day one. Me and Sir Alex knew that it would be a bumpy road but I think that it shows that if you really want something then nothing is impossible. I am glad it happened.”
Van Persie recounted the moment he was finally able to heave a sigh of relief and begin thinking about spearheading United’s attack.
“I was in the coach and just about to play with Holland,” he said. “There are no phones allowed in there but I just kept it on me just in case.
“When I heard a small buzz, I looked at it and saw a text from my agent that read, ‘The deal is done, enjoy the game.’
“It was a big relief. I wasn’t fined for using my phone either! It was weird because they announced it on TV during the game, which I didn’t know — I thought it was only me who knew. From that moment, everything went so quickly.
“The next day, I had to come for my medical. I went by train from Brussels to London to get my bits and pieces and then on to Manchester.” — Mailonline.
Online Reporter