Manchester United and the Wayne Rooney saga
Manchester United’s talismanic Scouser is at the heart of an intense contract tussle. Conflicting reports link him to transfers to Barcelona, Chelsea and Arsenal, while others seem to believe that his future remains firmly at Old Trafford.
Ever since the legend that is Sir Alex Ferguson claimed former Everton striker Wayne Rooney was seeking a move away from Manchester United at the end of the season, the Liverpool-born forward has been the target of constant speculation regarding the future of his career.
Over the past month, a tidal wave of rumours has emerged, linking Rooney from every club ranging from Anzhi Makhachkala in Russia to the Spanish giants Barcelona and Real, French rich-boys PSG and Monaco and London rivals Chelsea and Arsenal.
Rooney, on his part, has completely denied all allegations that he requested any transfer. However, with only two years remaining on his current contract, many speculate that either United will grant Rooney an extension along with a wage cut or proceed to cash in on their star striker.
Robin van Persie’s arrival at United last summer has somewhat stolen the spotlight from Rooney and has led to him losing his otherwise guaranteed starting position as striker. He has been used as a central midfielder on several occasions and was also left out completely in favour of Danny Welbeck in the marquee Champion’s League home leg clash against Real Madrid.
Several reports indicate that Rooney is unwilling to work with David Moyes, the man who gave him his professional debut at Everton, following their public spat following Rooney’s move to United. Others indicate that Rooney is willing to stay, as long as his wages remain the same. Even more reports suggest that Rooney has been in contact with other clubs and may even have brokered an agreement with one of them. The most recent statement though is that Rooney is willing to stay at United, provided they publicly apologise for even saying he wanted to leave.
Will he stay or will he go? At this point, nothing can be said for sure. Moyes is due to sit down with the England international over the next few hours and the future of the man once dubbed the White Pele should be clearer. But whatever the decision, Rooney is sure to dominate the headlines for the coming week.
Here is a reminder of how good Wayne Rooney can be. Check out this video of the top 20 goals of Rooney’s career.
