Robin Van Persie Set To Return To His Boyhood Club
Reuters / Jason Cairnduff
According to reports in Dutch media, Robin Van Persie is on the verge of sealing a move to his former club Feyenoord after just two seasons in the Turkish Super Lig.
The 33-year-old spent his youth career with the Dutch club before going on to make 61 senior appearances in the Eredivisie. Van Persie helped Feyenoord win the UEFA Super Cup in 2002, and during that year, he was also named the ‘best young talent’ for the season by the Dutch PFA.
Considering his exploits, Arsenal signed him on a long-term deal for a reported £3m fee in 2004. Since the summer switch to Emirates, Van Persie saw a rapid progress in his performance, and was regarded as one of the finest strikers, scoring 132 goals for the North London Club.
Van Persie’s 8-year stay at Arsenal came to an end when Manchester United signed him for a reported £24m deal in 2012, and the striker played a pivotal role in helping the club win the Premier League the following season.
He couldn’t replicate his performance in the next two seasons, and eventually made the switch to Fenerbahce in 2015. Since the move, Van Persie has had his fair share of struggles in Turkey, and has failed to be as prolific as he was in the past, scoring just 36 goals in 82 appearances for the club.
He enters the final 12 months of his current contract, and therefore, it is highly unlikely that Fenerbahce will demand a huge fee for him.
Feyenoord won the Eredivisie title under Giovanni Van Bronckhorst last season, so a return to De Kuip would see him play in the Champions League next term. The 42-year-old manager has already hinted that Van Persie could fit in his squad next season if he is interested in returning to Rotterdam.
“He would certainly fit at Feyenoord, With his past, what he has achieved and how he still performs,” he said to RTV Rijnmond (via Football Oranje).
Plus, if Van Persie does signs for them, he would certainly be a replacement for club legend Dirk Kuyt, who announced his retirement following Feyenoord’s title triumph.
Written by Pragadeesh Shanmugam 
United fan since Edwin Van der Sar denied Nicolas Anelka’s penalty to earn a dramatic Euro glory. Firmly believes that Lionel Messi deserves to win the Ballon d’Or until he plays this sport. One time writer for GiveMeSport and Roar. A regular contributor to Sportskeeda and BlameFootball.