Manchester United are willing to put Robin van Persie on the same wages as Wayne Rooney to bring the Arsenal striker to Old Trafford. The Telegraph says their willingness to match the £220,000 a week wages earned by Rooney has tipped the balance in their favour. The financial rewards will be staggering for the 29-year-old Dutchman at Old Trafford, and somewhat unprecedented given the stage of Van Persie's career.

To invest so heavily in a player who, as a striker, may have only three years of his prime remaining not only demonstrates United's ambition, but is also indicative of how desperate they are and how willing to abandon usual spending policy to reclaim their No 1 status.