Robin van Persie has completed his transfer to Fenerbahce, and admits the writing was on the wall for him at Manchester United.
The Holland international left Arsenal for Old Trafford in a controversial £24million transfer in the summer of 2012, as he approached the final 12 months of his contract at the Emirates Stadium. Van Persie went on to enjoy a sensational debut season in Manchester, helping the Reds win a record extending 20th title as he scored 26 goals in 38 appearances.
But the decision of Sir Alex Ferguson to announce his retirement at the end of that campaign hit the striker hard, and he failed to reproduce his best form under David Moyes or even last term when compatriot Louis van Gaal was in charge. This led to speculation that his time at United could be up, especially as he entered the final year of his four-year agreement.
Turkish side Fenerbahce, who had already lured Nani from United earlier this summer, made their interest in van Persie known some time ago, and they have now completed a £4.8million deal for the player who has signed a three-year deal. He insists he has no hard feelings about leaving the Reds, and admits he was expecting to be sold during the current transfer window.
“I could see it coming, if I’m really honest,” he said. “I could get used to the idea for quite a bit. It was not a situation where it was just happening from day to day so I could get used to the situation – that is football. From my side, there are no hard feelings with how it went. It’s part of football, it’s part of life. I had a good moment with the players the day before I came to Istanbul so that was special.
“Then you see that everyone really appreciated my time there – that was important for me. I highly appreciate the work of Ed Woodward, the chief executive of Manchester United. The way he dealt with this transfer is from a high level, it’s very classy. He proved he’s a true gentleman in the way he dealt with the whole situation. Ed, if you’re listening, thank you.”
