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Publication date: Wednesday, October 14, 2020 8:03 AM
Arsene Wenger has revealed that he turned down the opportunity to re-sign Robin van Persie at Arsenal.
Van persie He enjoyed a successful stint with Wenger for Arsenal between 2004 and 2012. The Dutch forward scored 132 goals in 278 games for the Gunners.
However, after leaving the Emirates Stadium, he joined one of Arsenal’s rivals, signing for Manchester United. There he won the Premier League title in his first season.
However, Van Persie was approaching the twilight of his career, and while he reached double figures in each of the next two seasons, he scored less in those two seasons combined than in his first year at Old Trafford.
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So United let him go in 2015, when he still had one year left on his contract. Van Persie joined Fenerbahce in Turkey, but it could have been different.
According to former Arsenal boss Wenger, Van Persie contacted him when he was leaving United to see if he could return to London.
“In 2012, he announced his intention not to extend his contract [at Arsenal]”Wenger wrote in his new book, Arsene Wenger: My Life in Red and White.
“All the big clubs courted him. I sold it to Manchester United.
“The fans were mad at me for this, but we couldn’t match the offer. I managed to negotiate his departure for £ 24 million, which was a huge amount at the time for a player with a year remaining on his contract. He only had the interest of the club in mind.
“My relationship with Alex Ferguson and Manchester United had improved by then, but each transfer is a polite game of poker where you don’t try to reveal anything.”
Van Persie turns ‘impossible’
Wenger He continued: “Van Persie had a fantastic first six months at Old Trafford – he steered the team towards the Premiership title and made it even harder for us.
“After three years out of the four he signed for, he got injured and Ferguson (note: it was actually Louis van Gaal) sold him to the Turkish club Fenerbahce.
“He called me because he wanted to come back, but it was impossible: he was at the end of his career and we were investing in young players.”
READ MORE: Wenger Reveals Manchester United Job Offer; hints at strong regret from Arsenal
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