Chelsea plan to move for Manchester United striker Robin van Persie if their pursuit of Sergio Aguero ends in failure, FootballDirectNews.com understands.
The west London outfit, who are desperate to add new strikers to their misfiring squad this summer, hope to lure Aguero from title rivals Manchester City but know they will be met with fierce resistance. Dutchman van Persie’s situation is different, with a source close to Stamford Bridge telling FDN that the Red Devils’ probable lack of Champions League football next term could be a decisive factor. United will not be involved in Europe’s top club competition unless they win the tournament this season, casting doubt over the future of their big-hitters, including van Persie. Chelsea are also in a position to match or better the salary he picks up at Old Trafford, while United could be keen to cash in on a player who is over 30 and has suffered injuries of late. Blues chief Jose Mourinho has made no secret of the fact that he does not rate his current crop of forwards and he has identified van Persie as the natural goalscorer he is sorely lacking, although Aguero remains his number one choice. Watch Chelsea v Stoke on Saturday and Arsenal v Everton, West Ham v Liverpool on Sunday.
