With Emmanuel Adebayor close to clinching a permanent move to Tottenham Hotspur, Robin van Persie’s possible switch to Manchester City seems even more likely – especially with one less rival.
Having dismayed Arsenal fans with an announcement that he would not be seeking a contract extension at the club, a flurry of sides have been linked with the Dutch striker, including the aforementioned Manchester City alongside Juventus, AC Milan, Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain.
Now however, it appears as though we can remove at least one of those clubs from further speculation, after PSG’s manager and former Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti ruled his club out of the running.
“Robin van Persie is not our target but I think there are a number of other clubs who are interested in him,” Ancelotti told a press conference.
The Italian boss also moved to quell speculation linking his side to Juventus’ Andrea Pirlo, a player he coached during his tenure at AC Milan.
“Pirlo is an interesting player for any club, but I have had the chance to coach him for eight years and that is enough.”
On the other hand, Ancelotti did mention that PSG are close to completing a €13 million move for Pescara’s Marco Verratti, dubbed by some as the new Pirlo.
“We have talked to Pescara and will have to wait a few days,” said Ancelotti. “I have not spoken with the player and have only seen a few of his matches last year. If he comes, we will have more options in the middle. Verratti is a young player and will be a long-term investment.
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