So Robin Van Persie is heading to Manchester United. But what does it mean for the players already at the club?
Here are four attackers who will be directly affected by the signing of last season’s Golden Boot winner and PFA Player of the Year.
Dimitar Berbatov
The Bulgarian looked destined to leave Old Trafford beforehand, but this surely rubber stamps his departure. While if the striker couldn’t find a club he was happy with, United may have been prepared to let him stay and contribute from the bench like last season, but now there is no chance. Expect the club to start to ramp up efforts to sell him and for the player to be out of the Old Trafford exit door by the end of the month.
Javier Hernandez
The Little Pea is now in danger of being pushed out to fourth choice at Old Trafford, and will have to bide his patience at Old Trafford after a mixed second season at the club last time out. He still scored vital goals, but his campaign was disrupted by injury and Danny Welbeck’s emergence and partnership with Wayne Rooney. We do not expect Chicharito to exit the club- he said just last week he was very happy at United, but his chances will be limited by the potential Rooney-Van Persie partnership.
Federico Macheda
United do not seem quite prepared to give up on Italian striker Federico Macheda just yet, but it now looks a certainty that he will be heading out on loan now. Had the club sold Berbatov and not signed a fourth striker, then Macheda would have been in with a shout, but a season long loan deal is his best chance of regular football.
Shinji Kagawa
When new signing Shinji Kagawa completed his transfer in June, he had fans predicting changes of formation and possible line-ups for the coming season. Those will have to be thrown out now, for United’s first choice XI will have to include both Rooney and Van Persie. It had been speculated Kagawa would play in a 4-4-1-1 in the role behind Rooney, but fitting him in will require a change of plan. Supporters will not expect to see their exciting new attacker benched, but his role may be altered to play deeper in the midfield rather than just behind the striker.
What does the future hold for these four? Where will United fit Kagawa in?
image: © eschipul
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