Manchester United Transfer News: Sir Alex Ferguson Confirms Bid for Van Persie

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has confirmed that the Red Devils have made a formal bid for Arsenal captain and striker Robin van Persie.

The Red Devils were believed to have made an offer to Arsenal for van Persie—an offer that was promptly rejected by the Gunners, who are believed to be holding out of formal negotiations until a bid exceeds £20 million, according to BBC Sport.

Whilst the exact figure and terms of the reported bid are unknown, Ferguson has confirmed that an offer was put forward by United for the Dutch international, according to Manchester United's official website. Said Ferguson:

"

Obviously Arsenal have given out the fact that we've made a bid for him.

We try to keep business as close as possible to us until the moment we conclude a deal. There's no point talking about something that might not happen.

There are other clubs interested in the player. We've shown an interest and that's where we're at at the moment...

"

The Red Devils manager is clearly unhappy at the manner in which Arsenal have handled United's offer, but one must ask what he thought was going to happen.

The Gunners know that if they're going to sell Van Persie to one of their Premier League rivals in Manchester City or United, they are going to sell him for a good price—wanting to stir up competition between the two clubs to drive his price higher.

Van Persie's inclusion at Old Trafford would create the most fearsome striker duo in the league, as the top two goal scorers from last season would combine on the same team.

However, if possible, it could give the Red Devils "too much" depth in attack, with the likes of Danny Welbeck, Javier Hernandez and Ashley Young all unlikely to see quality minutes on the pitch.

Italian champions Juventus are still said to be the most ideal destination for Van Persie, and Manchester City are believed to be able to offer the most attractive player wages and transfer fee, according to Fox Soccer.

Van Persie would no doubt be a huge success this season after proving last year that he can carry a team all season and establish himself as one of the premiere strikers in world football.

The only question is where.

Will Robin van Persie end up at Manchester United?

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