According to a report by The Guardian, Robin van Persie could be the next Premier League star to make his way to the Turkish Super Lig.
Following Lukas Podolski’s move to Galatasaray, van Persie has agreed to personal terms with Turkish club Fenerbahce the Guardian reports, with his agent Kees Vos having spent the last two days in Istanbul working out a deal.
The report states van Persie, who will be 32 years old before the start of the upcoming Premier League season, is ready to sign a 4-year deal with Fenerbahce. His wife was apparently iffy on a move to Turkey, but has spent the last week in Istanbul and gave it her approval. A report in Turkish Football claims former Fenerbahce winger and Dutch international Durk Kuyt spoke to van Persie about the club, convincing him to make the move.
Van Persie is a fan favorite at Old Trafford, but he’s fallen drastically down the pecking order, even below the troubled Falcao during the home stretch last season. He scored 48 goals in 76 Premier League appearances in his three seasons at Manchester United, but after winning the title in his first year, his productivity - and playing time - decreased each season thereafter.
Ultimately it fell to 10 goals in 27 appearances last season, with the 31-year-old failing to score after February 2, earning just two starts in four league appearances after that date.
Should this deal go through and the sides are able to come to an agreement, Louis van Gaal will likely need to purchase another strike option with Falcao and van Persie both having moved on. That would leave Manchester United with just Wayne Rooney, James Wilson, Angelo Henriquez, and Chicharito at the striker position, with the latter likely to head elsewhere as well.