Manchester United are negotiating a deal to offload one of their senior first-teamers this summer, with speculation mounting in Italy that Robin van Persie could be heading to Lazio in an £11 million move.
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The Serie A giants are said to be on the lookout for a new addition up front, with veteran German forward Miroslav Klose on his way out of the Stadio Olimpico in this summer’s transfer window, with the New York Times reporting that the striker is considering a move to a Brazilian club.
Van Persie has not been at his best for United this season, scoring only ten goals and missing large chunks of the campaign through injury, suggesting perhaps that he might not be the best option to lead the line for the club next season.
Memphis Depay has already been signed by United, as confirmed by the club’s official site last month. It may be that the Dutch youngster will be played up front next season, meaning manager Louis van Gaal could accept van Persie’s exit for a relatively cheap fee of £11m, as reported by Italian source Il Messaggero.
Given van Persie’s age and recent fitness record, this certainly doesn’t look a bad deal for the Red Devils as they build for next season, with perhaps more emphasis on younger players with the coach having also signed the likes of Daley Blind, Marcos Rojo and Ander Herrera to form the spine of his squad last year.
It remains to be seen if the 31-year-old will be ready to leave United for a smaller club like Lazio, but the slower pace of the game in Italy might suit the forward as he heads into the final years of his career. The capital club also secured a spot in the Champions League following a 4-2 final-day Serie A victory over Napoli, which may be appealing to van Persie.
However, there may yet be more tempting offers on the table for the former Arsenal man, who was also linked by the Daily Star with a move to Serie A champions Juventus earlier this week.