Manchester United Transfer Rumors: Man Utd Must Meet Robin Van Persie's Demands

Manchester United has been a big part of the Robin van Persie sweepstakes, but new developments seem to have the Red Devils wavering. Meeting the demands of RVP and his agent is a small price to pay in order to secure one of the world's premier offensive players, however.

According to Wayne Veysey of Goal.com, Van Persie's agent, Kees Vos, is asking for £4 million in addition to what Van Persie himself will be making in the event of a transfer. There is no question that Vos' insistence on an extra £4 million is quite excessive, but Manchester United would benefit from Van Persie in so many ways that it would be worth giving in a little bit.

Van Persie scored an incredible 38 goals across EPL, Champions League and international competition last season, so there is no question that he would give the Red Devils' offense a shot in the arm. Putting him up top along with Wayne Rooney would be a sight to behold, and an absolute nightmare for the opposition to defend.

Manchester United needs to think about who it would hurt if it secures Van Persie as much as how much it would help the Red Devils, though. Man U's biggest competition for EPL supremacy in the upcoming season is Manchester City, who won the league title last season, and Arsenal.

Arsenal has been actively shopping Van Persie because of his refusal to commit to a contract extension, so bringing in RVP would obviously hurt the Gunners. One of the other top teams in the Van Persie sweepstakes is Man City, so being proactive and overpaying a little bit would allow Manchester United to usurp its biggest rival in the process.

Many Manchester United fans are a bit upset about the way this offseason has gone, especially after Brazilian phenom Lucas Moura decided to sign with Paris Saint-Germain rather than the Red Devils. It's hard to argue with the notion that Man U has had a disappointing transfer window, but landing Van Persie would change that and create a ton of buzz at Old Trafford.

Regardless of whether or not Manchester United gets Van Persie, it is going to contend for an EPL title as it does every year. The Red Devils and Citizens are on equal footing if last season is any guide, and while Arsenal has improved, it was a very distant third last year and would have to make incredible strides to challenge the top two teams.

Manchester United is and always has been about making big moves even when it doesn't have to, though, and signing Van Persie would qualify as such. It's admirable that the Red Devils have been money conscious throughout this situation thus far, but when it comes to an elite offensive player like Van Persie, there isn't much reason to be frugal.

Van Persie and his agent can demand pretty much anything they want right now since they are free to sign wherever they please next offseason. If the Red Devils want him bad enough now, however, they can have him. Paying a few extra million may not be ideal, but it would save Manchester United the hassle of bidding against other teams next summer.

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