Photo by Charlotte Wilson/Offside/Offside via Getty Images

News

HomeNewsArsenalEnglish Premier League

‘Elegant’… Arsene Wenger claims player who quit Arsenal for £24m transfer was ‘like Dennis Bergkamp’

Olly Dawes

Tue 27 February 2024 20:45, UK

Arsene Wenger has heaped praise on former Arsenal striker Robin van Persie.

That may be a difficult sentence for some Arsenal fans to read.

Van Persie was an Arsenal favourite for eight years having arrived from Feyenoord back in 2004.

132 goals in 278 games was a superb record and Van Persie was seen as a hero at the Emirates Stadium.

The Dutchman threw that away in the summer of 2012, completing a controversial move to Manchester United.

Van Persie wants to go and win trophies and did so almost immediately, winning the Premier League in his first season at Old Trafford.

Arsene Wenger on Robin van Persie

Some Arsenal fans certainly won’t have forgiven Van Persie for .

It may be not be on par with signing for Tottenham Hotspur, but joining United really hurt many supporters.

Former Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger, the man who brought Van Persie to London and then had to deal with his departure, has now shared his view.

, Wenger has described Van Persie as ‘elegant’, just like his compatriot Dennis Bergkamp.

‘Elegant, like Dennis Bergkamp… Dutch touch!” said Wenger as he was asked about a host of ex-Arsenal players.

It’s not just being Dutch which links Van Persie and Bergkamp.

The technical ability of both players was simply ridiculous, providing Arsenal fans with some memorable goals.

Bergkamp’s turn and goal against Newcastle will live long in the memory, but we saw his technical brilliance throughout his time at Arsenal.

Van Persie was more of a natural goalscorer than Bergkamp and the first goal that comes to mind for us is the stunning volley against Charlton Athletic in 2006.

Yes, Van Persie soured his relationship with the Arsenal fans with that 2012 move, but it’s clear that Wenger still thinks very, very highly of him.