Manchester United Transfer Rumours: Robin Van Persie Signing Is Wishful Thinking

Robin van Persie plays for one of the biggest clubs in all the world, but Arsenal holds no guarantee of trophies.

The 28-year-old Dutchman wants more than just the opportunity to play in competitions such as the Champions League; he wants the opportunity to win them.

Clubs like Manchester United, Real Madrid and Barcelona offer those opportunities regularly. Manchester City is on the verge of doing so as well.

The Gunners, meanwhile, haven't hoisted a trophy since the 2005 FA Cup, and Van Persie has been in North London for each painstaking year since.

Now, with only one year remaining on his deal, he's on the verge of being the second of Arsene Wenger's captains in as many years to quit the squad and force a transfer elsewhere—according to the Daily Mirror, he's "sick of being potless."

The recently-crowned Premier League champions from Manchester City are already positioning themselves for another swoop of a frustrated star Gunner, as they did with Samir Nasri and Gael Clichy last year.

According to the Daily Mirror, they're preparing a £25 million swoop with an offer of £250,000 a week. That offer is well over Arsenal's £130,000-a-week contract and £5 million signing-on fee.

We can count the Gunners as long shots right now, because City are not the only ones who've come calling.

Italian giants Juventus are also reportedly in on the chase with a £30 million transfer fee for Arsenal and a four-year deal worth around £180,000 a week for the Dutchman (via the Daily Mirror), and Real Madrid and Barcelona have expressed interest too.

On top of that, Arsenal rivals and City's neighbors at Old Trafford are reportedly willing to match City's offer, according to the Daily Mirror.

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger claims he won't sell his talismanic striker (via the Daily Mirror), but he said that last year about former captain Cesc Fabregas as well. The French manager nearly submarined the season last summer by balking in the transfer window before making a few 11th-hour deals after Clichy, Fabregas and Nasri sales.

Manchester United and Sir Alex Ferguson can be quite persuasive when they need to be, and Van Persie would be foolish not to listen to what they have to say.

But where would he fit?

The Red Devils already have a dynamic scorer up top in Wayne Rooney, and they sport goal scorers Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez and Danny Welbeck.

All three players are younger than Van Persie and budding stars in their own right. The Red Devils have so much firepower that their former leading goal scorer, Dimitar Berbatov, saw the pitch only 12 times in league play.

This squad isn't continually one of the best in the league because they rest on what they have, but there's barely any room even for a star like Van Persie. Sir Alex would most assuredly have to sever ties with one of this younger stars to find enough playing time for all of them.

Their interest in the scorer, more likely than not, is simply to try and block a move to City, but if the brass at the Etihad want him, they'll pay for him.

United's rumored interest is real, but their hopes of signing him are remote.