Robin van Persie has declined to offer any confirmation regarding whether Feyenoord are actively pursuing the signature of his former Manchester United colleague, Jesse Lingard. The veteran English midfielder, now aged 33, is currently weighing up his next career move after concluding a two-year stint with FC Seoul in South Korea.
Lingard's Future in the Balance
Jesse Lingard joined the South Korean outfit, FC Seoul, back in February 2024 following his departure from Nottingham Forest. As he approaches the latter stages of his professional career, the former England international is expected to make a definitive decision on his next club imminently. Reports suggest that several teams from England, Italy, and the Netherlands have expressed a keen interest in acquiring his services.
Van Persie's Evasive Stance
Feyenoord, the Dutch giants currently managed by Robin van Persie, are understood to be among the clubs monitoring Lingard's situation. When directly questioned by the media on Friday about a potential move for the midfielder, the 42-year-old coach was notably reticent. He firmly shifted the responsibility for any such transfer decision onto the shoulders of Feyenoord's director, Dennis te Kloese.
'No, because I don’t think it’s my role to say anything about it,' van Persie stated emphatically. 'That’s up to Dennis and the technical team. I play a role in that, but more behind the scenes.'
Mounting Pressure at De Kuip
This transfer speculation emerges during a challenging period for Robin van Persie at Feyenoord. The team currently languishes a significant 17 points behind Eredivisie leaders PSV Eindhoven, a gap that was exacerbated by a 3-0 defeat to their rivals just last week. Furthermore, the club's European ambitions were dashed following a loss to Real Betis, which eliminated them from the Europa League at the group stage.
Gullit's Vote of Confidence
Despite the current difficulties, Dutch football legend Ruud Gullit has publicly advocated for patience with the former striker-turned-manager. Gullit has expressed his belief that van Persie possesses the requisite qualities to succeed at the highest level, even suggesting a potential future return to Manchester United in a managerial capacity.
'It would be great if Robin van Persie became the manager of Manchester United in the future. I definitely hope that happens at some point!' Gullit remarked. 'Robin is a great manager, but he’s struggling a little bit at Feyenoord at the moment.'
Gullit went on to highlight the immense pressure van Persie faces due to his illustrious playing career, drawing a parallel with the patience shown to Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United. 'I feel like the expectations for him are very high because of the career he had, so he’s under the spotlight a lot more than other managers in the Eredivisie. He’s under fire over here in Holland at the moment, but I hope he’s given time to rectify it and prove how good he is.'
The former Dutch international concluded with a forward-looking sentiment: 'Down the line however, I think it would be great for Robin to manage at Old Trafford one day.'
While the immediate focus remains on Feyenoord's domestic form and the potential arrival of Jesse Lingard, the broader narrative surrounding Robin van Persie's managerial journey continues to captivate the football world.
