Barcelona manager hints at Wayne Rooney bid
Barcelona head coach Pep Guardiola has hinted that the La Liga champions may consider making a move for Wayne Rooney, as the striker has publicly revealed his desire to leave Manchester United.
On Tuesday, 19 October, Red Devils manager Sir Alex Ferguson confirmed the rumours that the England international was looking to leave the club, and that Rooney had no intention of signing a new contract with the English Premier League giants.
With his current deal set to run out in 2012, United’s hand has been forced and, given that they will not allow their prize asset to leave for nothing, will welcome bids from the game’s biggest clubs for the 24-year-old. European big-guns such as Real Madrid
and Inter Milan are believed to be readying bids, while United’s EPL rivals Manchester City and Chelsea are also interested in capturing Rooney’s services.
Barcelona is reported to be preparing a bid of £25m to sign the attacker in January, and Guardiola suggested that the Catalan giants would welcome Rooney to the Camp Nou.
Guardiola was quoted by The Sun, declaring, "He is one of the greatest players in the world, [and] there are very few players with his qualities. He's a player I admire very much."
With Barcelona currently on a cost-cutting drive (the club’s president revealed on 16 October that debts of $563m (£355m) indicate that they must reduce expenditure), it is unlikely that they will be prepared to offer more than £25m for the player.
Rooney's relative value has been lowered due to the fact that his desire to leave United has been made public.
If the race to sign the player comes solely down to a bidding war, Manchester City is likely to win that race, as they would be able to offer Rooney wages of £300,000 per week.
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