Robin Van Persie Sale Puts the Fire Back in Arsenal-Manchester United Rivalry

Now that Arsenal have officially sold Robin van Persie to Manchester United, confirmed by Sky Sports, the Dutchman's exit will rekindle the once-great rivalry between United and the Arsenal.

During the Gunners' barren run, the rivalry that defined the glory years of the English Premier League has naturally lost some of its lustre. Arsenal's extended transition period has meant they have not been the title threat to United they were in the late '90s and early '00s.

Well, rest assured, the sight of Arsenal's former skipper adorned in United red will be enough to spark this rivalry back to life this season. Van Persie's slyly manipulated exit from North London and United's greedy eagerness to snatch one of Arsene Wenger's prized assets is enough to stoke the flames.

Wenger's touchline and press conference jousts with Red Devils autocrat Sir Alex Ferguson were one of the defining features of Arsenal and United's famous fiery clashes. The last five years has heralded an amicable period between the two that just doesn't seem natural from a fan's perspective.

However, the apparent accord between the Premier League's two most famous managers is only a thinly-veiled mask of civility. For Ferguson, it is a magnanimous streak that costs him nothing, due to Wenger no longer offering him his most serious challenge.

For the Arsenal boss, it is an uncomfortable conciliatory stance, forced by diminished status. Van Persie's sale will wipe away this unconvincing reconciliation and put Wenger and Ferguson back on a course of mutual agitation.

In a report from the Daily Mail, citing an interview with Wenger for French radio station TF1, the Frenchman describes being forced into selling his skipper due to harsh fiscal constraints. That puts United in the position of ruthless opportunists and that is something the very particularly principled Wenger is unlikely to forgive and forget.

The fact that he has stolen one of the crown jewels of his rival's famed youth policy is a cruel yet delightful irony that won't be lost on Ferguson.

A full-blooded return of the Arsenal-United rivalry is great news for the Premier League. Arsenal's fall in status from a team expected to win the league has left United to lock horns in less inspiring battles with Chelsea.

Last season's duel with derby rivals Manchester City was interesting to watch unfold, but it could only be truly appreciated by locals. City's title win did provide the always amusing sight of Ferguson the statesmen reverting to bullying overlord the moment anyone dares challenge United's hegemony of the EPL.

However, the Arsenal-United rivalry tops the Red Devils' encounters with Chelsea and City, because of the quality of their games. A true rivalry is not played out by one team stifling their great foe with a cynical, rearguard action.

That's something Jose Mourinho should be reminded of, every time he leads Real Madrid into a Clasico against Barcelona. No, a real rivalry exists only when the two combatants throw themselves into each other at full speed, each refusing to yield.

Over the years Arsenal and United have produced many superb battles of this nature. The desire of the two men in charge to have the right to claim their team plays the most attractive football created a rivalry defined by intense attack-minded encounters.

When van Persie steps onto the field with his new club to take on his old team this season, the Arsenal-Manchester United rivalry will reclaim its place as the biggest game in the Premier League.