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Arsenal striker and Manchester United transfer target Robin van Persie is again the center of discussions at Old Trafford with reports emerging that the Dutch international wants to become the highest paid player at United, should he move their next season.

According to The Express, Van Persie reportedly wants to be paid on the same scale as star striker and England international Wayne Rooney—who is currently the highest paid player on the Red Devils' roster.

Van Persie, who has turned down a three-year contract worth £130,000 a week to extend his stay at Arsenal—plus a £5 million re-signing bonus—believes a move to Premier League rivals United would enhance his chances of winning long-overdue silverware. But to join Manchester United he is still expecting a huge increase in his wage packet. The Old Trafford hierarchy have been made aware that Van Persie expects the same financial rewards as the club’s highest-paid player, Rooney, who is on around £220,000 a week. It is understood that United are prepared to meet Van Persie’s demands, providing they can agree a fee of between £15m and £20m with the Gunners.

To some clubs, paying a star striker £220,000 per week and a transfer fee of around £20 million just seems ridiculous. To others, like rival Manchester City and this year's transfer kings, Paris St. Germain, it is just the price of doing business to acquire the top talent in world football.

However, for Manchester United, the price seems ludicrous, and the Red Devils would have to be insane to offer the striker that much money to join the club.

They already have a strong strikers group in Danny Welbeck, an England international at the recent European Championships; Javier Hernandez, an ever-improving player who is looking to build on last season; and Wayne Rooney, known performer and widely considered one of the top strikers in world football.

The addition of Van Persie is perhaps a little over the top.

It would force Danny Welbeck back to the bench and drop Hernandez even further back in the ranks—meaning that the two could well want out of Old Trafford come the January transfer window if they are not getting adequate game time.

But the main issue is that the Gunners legend isn't really the best fit for United. They have already picked up Shinji Kagawa from Borussia Dortmund and Nick Powell from Crewe Alexandra, and the acquisition of the 28-year-old simply doesn't seem to go with United's current plans.

Kagawa, especially, seems like a very strange signing if they intend to actively pursue Van Persie—which, according to the Express, is exactly what they're doing.

United would most likely have to keep on the 4-4-2 formation they've adopted for so long and seriously expose themselves defensively if they play Kagawa as a regulation central midfielder, which he would have to do with Van Persie in the same squad.

The Red Devils' defense was the reason why they lost the English Premier League title last season—particularly a crucial draw against Everton, where they surrounded a two-goal lead at home in the final five minutes—and, as a result, they will surely not expose themselves in defense as much in the upcoming year.

They cannot expect the return of captain Nemanja Vidic to fix everything; they must not overcommit themselves in attack, which they would be doing should they sign RVP.

I mean, there's no doubting the ability of the Dutch international. Anybody who watched him last season in the English Premier League will have witnessed first-hand just how prolific and completely dominant he was in attack.

Obviously, that type of dominance is wanted at Old Trafford, but what I'm saying is that they must not sacrifice everything to bring him.

The baby must not be thrown out with the bathwater, so to speak.

Should United offer Van Persie the £220,000 per week they are reportedly considering, it would be one of the most insane decisions to come out of the club in recent years—even more so than the acquisition of Bebe, and that's saying something.

It would render Kagawa ineffective, expose them defensively and severely hinder the progress of Welbeck and Hernandez and the rewards that they could have brought for the United this year in the English Premier League.

Don't hear me saying that Van Persie wouldn't be good at Old Trafford—I have little doubt as to the success he could have for United—but I am cautiously hesitant to plunge myself as to his involvement in the squad.

Robin van Persie isn't good for Welbeck and Hernandez; he isn't good for Kagawa.

He isn't good for the defense, and considering that their Premier League title chances could hinge on their defensive strength, he isn't good for Manchester United either.

Are there problems with a move to United by Robin van Persie?

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