Transfer Centre

Robin van Persie: 'Manchester United will spend £200m to catch Chelsea'

By Shane Callaghan, Reporter | 08 June 2015

Robin van Persie expects Manchester United to fork out some £200m in another summer spending spree to help reduce the gap to Premier League champions Chelsea.

Manchester United striker Robin van Persie has claimed that manager Louis van Gaal will spend some £200m in another transfer spree this summer.

The Red Devils splashed approximately £142m in the second most expensive shopping spree in football history last summer.

Club-record Angel di Maria, who signed for £59.7m, was followed to Old Trafford by Luke Shaw, Daley Blind, Marcos Rojo, Ander Herrera and Radamel Falcao.

Despite the outlay, Van Gaal's side finished fourth and 17 points behind Premier League champions Chelsea, and Van Persie hopes that another busy transfer window can help bridge that gap next season.

"United spent £200m on players last year and they are going to spend another £200m this summer so we will have a team that can compete for the title," he told The Mirror.

Real Madrid hold the record for the most lavish spending spree of all time after paying out £192m (€265m) in the summer transfer window of 2009.