After a whirlwind romance the relationship between Manchester United and Robin van Persie has fizzled out and it’s now time for each to go their separate ways.
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It looks increasingly likely that Van Persie will leave United this summer, Turkey’s Hurriyet Daily reporting the Dutchman could arrive in Istanbul today to agree terms which would make him the second Red to join last season’s Super Lig runners-up Fenerbahce within a week after Nani’s switch.
It’s now 27 months since Van Persie’s first-half hat-trick in a 3-0 win against Aston Villa crowned a glorious debut season in Manchester and confirmed a 20th English domestic title for United.
0.51 – Robin van Persie has the fourth best goals per game ratio of players with 100+ PL goals, after Henry, Shearer and Wright. Legacy.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) July 6, 2015
His goal-scoring exploits were precious mementoes of a campaign which brought the curtain down on Sir Alex Ferguson’s illustrious 26- year reign as Red Devils’ boss.
It was Fergie’s final hurrah but the 26 goals that Van Persie plundered should have been just the beginning. Instead, little has gone in favour for either the club or the striker since.
Niggling injuries from his Arsenal days have returned to haunt him, coinciding with an alarming dip in form. The once-deadly Dutchman has netted just 22 times in the Premier League in the ensuing two seasons.
Having appeared in every single Premier League game in his first season, Van Persie played only 21 games under David Moyes and 27 times last term.
During that forgettable campaign under Moyes, Van Persie was said to have endured a frosty relationship with the maligned boss.
So when Louis van Gaal took charge following an impressive World Cup for both the Netherlands, who reached the semi-finals, and Van Persie, who scored four goals en route, United fans were relishing the return to form of their talisman.
But worryingly his form actually nosedived under Van Gaal. He played 530 more minutes last season than in 2013/14 but scored only two more goals, one every 211 minutes. United restored a shade of respect to their battered reputation by scraping back into the top four, but the 31-year-old’s character remains stained.
Radamel Falcao’s shambolic foray into the Premier League put Van Persie’s woes largely in the shade, yet even that cannot mask his downward trajectory.
Van Gaal’s major achievement thus far has been ushering in a return to Europe’s top table with Champions League qualification.
But in his preferred 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 formations, both of which employ one central striker, there is an ever-evaporating need for a goal-scorer in drastic decline.
Wayne Rooney, who Van Gaal made captain last season, cemented his place as the favoured frontman, impressing with mature displays, not to mention 12 goals and five assists. In Juan Mata, Angel Di Maria, Memphis Depay, Ashley Young, Antonio Valencia and Adnan Januzaj, United also have an embarrassment of riches of players who can play behind or wide of the striker.
United fans will say the £24million (Dh137m) splurged on Van Persie was worth it for the debut season, and wrestling back the title from Manchester City, alone.
The flying Dutchman may be on his way but his legacy – curbing City’s rise and capturing a maiden Premier League title to edge United two clear of rivals Liverpool – will soar.
