With Thomas Vermaelen likely to be leaving, Barcelona are considering recruiting Robin van Persie for a place on their bench in a spot specifically reserved for former Arsenal players.

Van Persie apparently wants to leave Turkey because of the political problems there and Barcelona are considering handing him a contract meaning that two of his best options could be to sit on Barca’s bench or to play for Stoke.

Robin might have won a league title with Manchester United, something he could have done with Arsenal if he’d stayed just one more season and actually helped them do it, but I said at the time he’d eventually regret leaving in a post I can’t link to because hackers killed our site last summer and we had to rebuild from scratch.

It’s a shame. It was the most prophetic I’ve ever been.