Juventus, Internazionale and Lazio are all hoping to land Robin van Persie in the summer, should Manchester United grant him a free transfer.
The Reds paid £24million for the Holland international in the summer of 2012 as he entered the final year of his contract at Arsenal, who were reluctant to lose him on a free transfer the following year. Van Persie had an immediate impact at Old Trafford, scoring 26 goals as they reclaimed the title from neighbours City, but was stunned when Sir Alex Ferguson then retired.
Of all the players at the club it has been claimed that the 31-year-old felt the departure of the Scot the most, and this was reflected in his performances last season as he scored just 12 times under David Moyes. And even though United are now coached by his compatriot Louis van Gaal, he has again struggled this term yet his chances have been limited due to injury problems.
Van Persie will have one year left on his contract at the end of the current campaign, after which he will earn a £10million loyalty bonus. But according to the Mail on Sunday, the Premier League giants are keen to offload him in the summer and will offer him £5million to terminate his contract, which would also allow him to join another club on a free transfer and for a lucrative package.
And the striker’s next destination could well be Italy. Serie A champions Juventus, who are well on course for a fourth successive Scudetto, are said to be interested in adding van Persie to their squad, yet they can expect competition if a resurgent Lazio qualify for the UEFA Champions League. Roberto Mancini, who almost signed the player during his time in charge at Manchester City, remains an admirer, and is expected to offer him the chance to join Internazionale.
