Man Utd boss Solskjaer can sign his own Robin van Persie to repeat Sir Alex Ferguson glory

Tottenham: Will Harry Kane stay or go?

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When Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson forked out around £24m to bring Robin van Persie to Old Trafford from rivals Arsenal in 2012, the signing proved to be the catalyst in United winning the Premier League that season. They had narrowly missed out to rivals Manchester City the year before and the addition of Van Persie, who won the Golden Boot after netting 26 league goals, helped them go on to win their 20th English top-flight title.

During his time at Arsenal, Van Persie established himself as one of the best goalscorers in world football and netted 30 league goals in 38 appearances in his final season at the Emirates.

However, the Dutchman wanted to win major trophies and it was clear that he would not be able to do that if he stayed at Arsenal.

Speaking after he was unveiled as a United player, Van Persie underlined his desire to lift silverware, saying: “It’s an honour to sign for Manchester United.

“I am looking forward to following in the footsteps of so many great strikers, bringing my experience and playing my part to help the team compete for the biggest trophies in the game. I can’t wait to get started.”

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Van Persie was able to fulfil his ambitions at United, winning the league for the first and only time in his career before Sir Alex Ferguson retired.

Reflecting on the move last year in an interview with Dutch presenter Kaj Gorgels on his official YouTube channel, Van Persie explained: “At Arsenal, I didn’t feel like we were on the level to compete. 

“One day, the chairman of Arsenal showed me how healthy the club was by showing me their positive numbers. I told him: “I don’t give a s*** about these numbers, I want to lift the Premier League trophy.”

He added: “My departure from Arsenal to Manchester United is still a sensitive topic in England. But I wanted to win, I just wanted to win. And I had to take a risk for that.”

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Now, it appears as though Tottenham Hotspur star Harry Kane is set to take a similar risk, with Sky Sports reporting that the England captain has told Spurs he wants to leave.

Kane has been open about his desire to win major trophies, telling BBC Sport last month: “I’ve done so many things in the game but there’s still so many things in my head that I want to achieve.

“I spoke openly about [winning silverware]. That’s the reason why I play the game, that’s why I became a footballer – to win and have those experiences with my team-mates, lifting trophies and winning the biggest games.

“It hasn’t happened so far but I feel I’ve got plenty of time in my locker. I’m just looking forward and I’m sure they will come.”

United are one of the clubs who have been heavily linked with Kane’s services and there are certainly parallels that can be drawn to the Van Persie deal.

Like the Dutchman, Kane is in the prime of his career, having netted 22 league goals and provided 13 assists this season, and he is also hungry for success having not won a trophy with Spurs.

With Kane reportedly keen to leave, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer could make a move for the 27-year-old in a bid to fire United to their first league title in eight years.

Given the strength of competition in the league that will be no easy task, but Kane would certainly have a better chance of lifting silverware at United than he would at Spurs.

Just like Van Persie did in 2012, Kane could prove to be the difference maker in United’s bid to topple reigning champions City.

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