"Arsenal Football Club can confirm that terms have been agreed for the transfer of Robin van Persie to Manchester United."
In 2004 Arsenal F.C. completed an unbeaten season in the English Premier League. They were "The Invincibles." Managed by the brilliant Arsene Wenger and glamorously London-based Arsenal supplanted Manchester United in England and was one of the great clubs in the world. One of the richest too. In 2006 Arsenal moved into brand new Emirates Stadium, seating capacity 60,000. The club has reserves on hand of approximately $180 million in cash. Yet, that same summer of 2006 Arsenal sold one of their best players, Robert Pires, to another club. The next summer they sold Thierry Henry.
In these early years of the current era Arsenal's great rival was Manchester United. In the minds of Arsenal's fans that continued until the announcement at top. In reality it had ceased to be years earlier for Arsenal has not won the league since 2004. Chelsea, flush with Russian owner Roman Abramovich's money, finished top the next two years and United the three after that.
In 2009 the Abu Dhabi United Group purchased Manchester City, a club that was no challenger to their neighbors or to Arsenal. Soon however a player shuttle opened between North London and Manchester. First Emmanuel Adebayor and then Kolo Toure and Gale Clichy and Samir Nasri, all were sold to City. Arsenal's best player last year, Cesc Fabregas, was sold to Barcelona. Arsenal had gone from "The Invincibles" to a farm team for Barcelona and Manchester City. City finished ahead of Arsenal in 2011 and won the league in 2012 with 19 more points.
None of this, of course, was acceptable to Arsenal's fans, who protested and chanted, but until that announcement on August 15 they comforted themselves with the delusion that their "real" rival was still Manchester United. Selling players abroad or even en masse to noveaue riche City was one thing but to hated, admired United, No!. Yes. Robin van Persie, the EPL's leading goal scorer last year, was Arsenal's best player. Monday he will wear the sweater of Manchester United. It was the death of a great rivalry. Rivalries die hard, delusions die hard. Death of a football club.
