:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/photo_images/5844126/140787612.jpg)
No, I'm not a reporter with inside connections so this post doesn't indicate what WILL happen, just a little rest in the normal schedule to wonder why something ISN'T happening that makes a ton of sense. That is the proposed transfer of Robin van Persie to Chelsea.
You may be saying to yourself "I haven't heard that one in a summer where van Persie has been linked with lots of clubs" and you're right, you haven't. The question is "why not?". Let's take a quick look at why this makes an incredible amount of sense on many levels:
- Forward Gap - It is no secret that will Didier Drogba out for good, Romelu Lukaku too young and out on loan, and Fernando Torres an uncertain proposition that Chelsea are looking for a "9". Guys like Hulk and Cavani have been mentioned frequently but both seem unlikely to move given incredibly high valuations.
- A Defensive Move - As much as I'd like to consider Arsenal as having a chance to win the title this year, in my mind there are only 3 significant title contenders - Manchester City (the favorites), Manchester United, and Chelsea. With City likely out of the RvP derby due to having too many other forwards already and RvP HATING Adebayor that leaves Manchester United. If United were to acquire RvP then their stock would go up dramatically in the race for the title which would hurt Chelsea.
- Style - Roberto De Mateo seems like he's trying to do his best to create a Barca-like environment at Chelsea and RvP would fit nicely in that type of system after years playing that way with Arsenal.
- Location - van Persie gets the best of both worlds - a bigger contract without having to move his family.
- Money - Chelsea have enough to over pay (compared to Manchester United or Juventis at least) to get RvP (both in transfer fee and salary) which should interest both Arsenal and van Persie.
- Lack of Serious Rivalry - Despite Chelsea's success since the arrival of Russian petro-bucks, you don't get the feeling that Arsenal and their supporters feel nearly the same sense of rival
Obviously, as a Gooner I'm hoping that van Persie stays where he is but in the event that he does move, I'm baffled by the fact that Chelsea aren't (at least publicly) in on the action. Are they THAT confident in Fernando Torres as their starting forward? I know none of us are.