On the devils Jersey

Arsene Wenger has admitted that Arsenal were powerless to stop Robin van Persie signing for Manchester United. United sealed the signing of the summer on Wednesday night when Arsenal agreed to sell Van Persie to their Barclays Premier League rivals for £24million. After weeks of negotiating with Arsenal and the Holland striker, United have beaten Manchester City and Juventus to Van Persie’s signature and the 29-year-old will have a medical at Old Trafford on Thursday. Manager Arsene Wenger has the best part of two weeks to spend some of the money before the transfer window is closed. He said on French TV on Wednesday night: ‘It’s sad to lose a player of his quality. He had only one year left on his contract so we didn’t have the choice.

Arsenal wenger shakes the captains  hand Robin van Persie

Asked who he would recruit, Wenger said: 'We already signed Lukas Podolski and Olivier Giroud.'
Van Persie is the first Arsenal player to join United since Viv Anderson in 1987 and the move has riled Gunners fans, who took to Twitter to abuse him.

United are understood to have agreed a £15m downpayment for last season’s Footballer of the Year and Players’ Player — who scored 30 Premier League goals for last season. That will rise to £24m depending on appearances. Van Persie is expected to sign a four-year contract worth over £200,000 a week.
A statement on United’s website said: ‘Manchester United is pleased to announce it has reached agreement with Arsenal for the transfer of Robin van Persie. The deal is subject to a medical and the agreement of personal terms.’

In signing Van Persie, United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has laid down a clear marker ahead of the new season. It is the first time the club have paid  for a big name since Dimitar Berbatov from Tottenham for £30.75m in 2008.
Having decided two or three years ago they would not sign players over the age of 27, United have signified just how far they are prepared to go to wrest the title back from City.