After being linked with Stoke City, striker Robin Van Persie has one last chance to play at the highest level after seeking a move away from Fenerbahçe.
It seems like only yesterday when Van Persie defied gravity and leapt through the air, chipping Casillas in the Netherland’s opening game of the 2014 World Cup, it’s safe to say that his decline from the top has been anything but slow.
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Today you’d expect to find a 32 year old Robin Van Persie residing in Turkey, enjoying the sun after scoring 22 goals in 48 games in all competitions to help Fenerbahçe reach second place in the Süper Lig.
Instead, we’re seeing the superstar being linked with Rangers, Stoke City and Middlesbrough after reports of Robin being miserable in Istanbul.
Talking to Lig TV at the start of the season, Van Persie said “To be honest, I am not very happy at this moment. I was not happy that I started on the bench”.
Twinned with the recent coup in Turkey, Van Persie looks to be on his way out.
Should the Dutchman join Rangers he’ll be greeted with the huge atmosphere found at the Ibrox Stadium, something he’d be used to after spending the past season in Turkey.
It’s no secret that the Scottish Premiership is lacking in both quality and money, Van Persie leaving for Rangers would see him taking a massive pay cut, something Robin is not known for.
Should Van Persie sign for Rangers however, we may see the league take the step away from being a one horse race in which Celtic are almost guaranteed to win.
Acquiring a player of Van Persie’s quality is a step that the Scottish Premier League needs to take. Securing his signature would see the league go back to the two-horse race we have historically seen.
The last time one of the ‘Old Firm’ failed to win the title was when Sir Alex Ferguson won the title in 1984 with Aberdeen.
This means that if Van Persie wants to stay playing competitive football week in, week out, the Premier League is the direction he needs to head and he’s only got two clubs that are truly showing interest in signing him.
Newly promoted Middlesborough are a team taking serious steps to stay in the Premier League, cashing in all of their chips to survive the first season.
So far Middlesborough fans should be pleased with their window, after bringing in highly rated young winger Viktor Fischer, veteran goalkeeper Victor Valdes and former Manchester City striker Negredo. Does this leave room for Van Persie?
When cashing in all of your chips on proven, quality players, the last thing you want to do is bring in aging players on high wages and get relegated. The same thing that happened to QPR, who are now in financial difficulty. If the board at Middlesbrough are wise, they’d take a pass on the aging Dutchman.
This leaves Van Persie’s last remaining option, Stoke City. A club that in the past decade have cemented their place in the Premier League through smart recruitment and in the past season, some great football.
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Stoke City are no strangers when it comes to signing top talents. Last season they signed Bayern’s fallen star Xherdan Shaqiri after coups of the former Barcalona star Bojan and winger Marko Arnautović.
Mark Hughes, Stoke City’s manager, has been on the search for a striker for The Potters to no avail, even trying Bojan as a False-9 at times during the 2015/16 season.
A real out and out striker like Van Persie would work great in their system with creative midfielders all around him, he could get back to his best while playing at he Britannia Stadium.
Should Van Persie want to remain at a competitive level, Stoke City is by far his best option. That doesn’t mean to say that he’s their best option this summer.
It’s been no secret that Peter Coates, the chairman at Stoke City has had failed bids for West Brom’s Saido Berahino, who looks to be Stoke City’s main target striker this summer.
Being 10 years younger than Van Persie and scoring 14 goals in 38 games in the 14/15 season despite Tony Pulis’ very defensive tactics he would be a better option than the injury-prone Van Persie.
Van Persie could flourish under Stoke City’s tactics and would enjoy life back in England, with Stoke’s £25m bids on Berahino getting rejected at every turn, he could be their best option as a back-up.
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Time will tell if he can stay fit and keep a good attitude but in a world full of inconsistencies and uncertainty, one thing is for sure. He’s not going back to Arsenal.