Manchester United Confirms Bid for Robin Van Persie

Let the games begin!

The race to acquire Arsenal striker Robin Van Persie, who has made it clear that he will not sign a new contract with Arsenal, is underway. As you would expect, some major clubs have already thrown their hats in the ring and one has even confirmed it.

Speaking with MUTV today, United manager Sir Alex Ferguson confirmed that the Red Devils had made an offer to Arsenal for RVP.

"Obviously Arsenal have given out the fact that we've made a bid for him. We try to keep business as close as possible to us until the moment we conclude a deal. There's no point talking about something that might not happen."

The BBC is reporting that Arsenal rejected United's bid, along with bids from Manchester City and Juventus. The offers were apparently in the region of £15 million. While Juventus and City's bids seem legitimate, something just doesn't add up about United's bid. According the BBC, Arsenal are holding out in hopes of getting £25-£30 million.

Sure, almost any team would love to have a player like Van Persie, but considering how similar his style of play is to Wayne Rooney, the move doesn't really make sense. If it's possible for one club to "troll" another club via a transfer bid, this might be a prime example.

In the meantime, Arsene Wenger and his Arsenal squad are in Asia on a pre-season tour. Van Persie is not currently with the team and is not scheduled to appear on the tour.