Manchester United Transfer News: Robin Van Persie Exit Hint, David De Gea Latest

Manchester United striker Robin van Persie has hinted that he may leave Old Trafford this summer in search of more regular first-team football having endured a frustrating 2014-15 season.

The Dutchman played only 121 minutes of football following his February ankle injury as he failed to make Louis van Gaal's first team after returning from his knock, per WhoScored.com.

Unlike previous seasons—both at United and Arsenal—he is clearly no longer the first-choice striker, and he has admitted his frustration with the situation, hinting that he is weighing up his options for the future, per David Anderson in the Mirror:

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I want to play first-team football and to play every week at a high level at a big club. The club will have to do some homework and so will I. I will take everything into consideration and weigh up what is the best solution in this strange situation. This is a big boys’ world. Louis van Gaal is not the coach of Robin van Persie, he’s the coach of Manchester United. He has to deal with 25 players and it’s not all about me. I can handle whatever the situation is this summer.

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Bleacher Report's Sam Tighe believes the Red Devils should move on from the 31-year-old Van Persie—whose contract expires in a year's time—in favour of a younger striker:

It may well be that the two parties agree to take that particular route, with Anderson reporting interest from Juventus and Fenerbahce. 

However, Van Persie has also insisted that any decision he makes will be the best one for his family, who are settled in Cheshire, per Ian Ladyman in the Daily Mail. He said:

"I'm thinking about my family and my children with every decision I take. These are very important for me. I'm a real family guy. I think it's fantastic to see how happy my children and wife are. That's something I take in consideration when I'm thinking about my future."

Clearly any switch for Van Persie would mean uprooting his family, which may affect the Dutchman's decision on whether to continue at United.

Van Persie still has the talent and desire to make a contribution at United, but he is seemingly past the point of being a regular starter.

However, if he decides to continue under Van Gaal, he could still be a dangerous and valuable presence in the United front line, though he may be making more appearances from the bench.

De Gea Bids Farewell

Jon Super/Associated Press

In the ongoing saga that is United goalkeeper David de Gea's potential move to Real Madrid, the latest reports suggest that the Spaniard has already said his goodbyes at Old Trafford.

According to Jeremy Cross in the Daily Star, De Gea has told the La Liga giants he will be moving to the Bernabeu this summer, and he bade farewell to the staff at Old Trafford.

Cross also quoted a source suggesting that De Gea would only ever have agreed to move away from United for a switch to Los Blancos.

"David has loved his time at United and wouldn't even consider leaving if it wasn't for the fact it's Real Madrid that want to sign him. He knows he can achieve so much more at Real and Madrid is where he's from. All his friends and family are there," the source noted. 

The 24-year-old was undoubtedly the Red Devils' star performer last season, with his heroics saving United numerous points on their way to securing a top-four finish in the Premier League.

The club are now apparently bracing themselves for an opening bid of £20 million from Madrid, despite having offered De Gea a £200,000-a-week deal to stay on, per Cross.

De Gea is being lined up as a long-term replacement for Real veteran Iker Casillas, who could be on his way out of the Bernabeu, per Marca (h/t La Liga expert Nicholas Rigg):

It is certainly unsurprising, given Casillas' recent poor form, that Real are looking to replace him, but United fans surely wish the Madrid outfit would look elsewhere.

However, it seems they have set their focus onto De Gea, and when Real are involved—as United found out with Cristiano Ronaldo—they usually get their man.