Manchester United: Why Robin Van Persie Would Be a Bad Fit for Red Devils

Unfortunately for Arsenal fans like myself, it appears that Robin van Persie is on his way out of the Emirates Stadium in search of more money elsewhere.

Of course, the usual clubs have been mentioned over and over again as possible destinations for the Dutchman. Juventus and Manchester City are constantly named as suitors, as are Manchester United, a club that does not lack in money or ambition.

It's not particularly difficult to see why van Persie has been linked with the red half of Manchester. There are only a few clubs in the world that can pay the sort of money that it would take to get the striker, and United can certainly take on the expense.

Van Persie would be able to remain in the Premier League, which he obviously knows well after eight seasons, and could convince the public that he was in search of silverware all along while pulling in one of the biggest salaries in football.

Indeed, based on a minimal level of analysis, RVP would be a prime candidate for a club as big as Manchester United. But if you look at the team the Dutchman would be entering, it is apparent that fitting him into a cohesive starting XI would be like putting a square peg in a round hole.

On a basic level, United simply have too many strikers to take on one who requires constant playing time and needs to be the focal point of the attack.

Despite his managerial brilliance, Sir Alex Ferguson had a tough time distributing starts to the glut of good strikers at the club.

Wayne Rooney is, of course, an unquestioned starter up front. Given the fact that Ferguson usually employs a traditional two-striker system, that leaves Javier Hernandez and Danny Welbeck as the Englishman's two principal partners.

It is uncertain in what situations each should be deployed. Should Hernandez be used as the Ole Gunnar Solskjaer-type impact sub who can poach a goal at the death, or should his goalscoring ability be utilized for the full 90 minutes?

Welbeck is, of course, a totally homegrown player and a productive member of the English national team who produced some fine things for United last season when given playing time. He is showing signs of rapidly maturing into the quality striker many thought he was capable of being.

To deny either a place in the team would seem almost criminal at this point, and might disenfranchise one or both players.

Plus, SIr Alex would have a tough time employing a single-striker formation if he wanted to because either van Persie or Rooney would have to be benched to make that work, and the former would likely lose out.

So, if a marquee player would not fit naturally into your team and you cannot guarantee him consistent playing time, why bother signing him?

Moreover, placing van Persie and Rooney in the same team would lead to some serious tactical issues due to the similar playing styles of the two men.

Both frequently drop back from their positions up front to collect the ball in midfield and act as a distributor. In other words, they are so versatile that they can act as very direct strikers or pure No. 10s, depending on what the team needs at any moment.

Presumably, it would take a significant amount of time for the two to develop a level of chemistry whereby both would know when exactly to recede from the front line and when to push forward and feast on the other's service.

Rooney likes to drop deeper into midfield than van Persie, but turning him into a provider neglects his considerable ability in front of goal, and vice versa.

Plus, the two would search for the ball so often that United's wingers would be starved of the ball, and much of the quality play that we saw from the likes of Antonio Valencia and Ashley Young—both of whom frequently cut inside—would disappear.

And, of course, there are the small matters of van Persie's transfer fee and contract that would hold up any potential deal. United might be fabulously wealthy compared to most clubs, but hardly anyone can afford to hand out the astronomical wages that Manchester City does frequently.

A potential point of contention would be how much the Dutchman would be paid in comparison to Rooney, whose monster salary unquestionably defines him as the best player on the team.

To make these sorts of financial concessions and take these risks for a player who would both stunt the development of some of the club's most promising young strikers and react with Wayne Rooney on a football field like oil and water would be very poor strategy by the Red Devils.

Stranger things have happened in football, but major question marks about every facet of the deal make this transfer highly improbable.

In other words: keep your money on van Persie playing in Manchester next season, but assume that he'll be wearing sky blue.

Follow @charliemelman