Is Wayne Rooney’s Dream with Manchester United Over For Good?
The biggest debate that has kept all the football pundits engaged for the last few days is whether Wayne Rooney is going to leave Manchester United in the January transfer window or not. All the signs point towards the exit door
being taken by Wayne.
For a wealth of reasons, Rooney has had a falling out with his manager Sir Alex Ferguson, not least of them being the sordid affairs surrounding his personal life. It is said that Sir Alex Ferguson was deeply disgusted by Wazza’s
behaviour, and it is one of the major reasons that a parting of the ways is being considered now. Also flying about are rumours that it is his neighbouring club Manchester City’s monetary pull that is making his head turn the ‘other’ way. That particular bit
of news has Man-U fans all riled up and they are calling Wayne Rooney, their blue-eyed boy of just a few months ago, all sorts of names that would better not be listed here. What they seem to have forgotten is the fact that he is the same player who a few
years earlier made the switch from Everton, the club he loved and supported as a boy, to Manchester United, in search of bigger and better things and at that time he was a hero to be worshipped. Now that he is evidently going to move across the city, or anywhere
else for that matter, it suddenly makes him a despicable person. Nevertheless, this must have been expected by Rooney; he of all people should know how myopic football fans can be. Frankly, there is not too much one can blame Rooney for. Reportedly, United
were going to offer him 100k pounds per week in his new contract, while if he does make the move to City, he will be bagging a nice 250k pounds or thereabouts per week. Also, City look much better placed than United to be challenging for silverware in the
near future with their Real Madrid-like Galacticos outfit, and how many players can really refuse that kind of money, or the chance to play alongside some of the finest footballers of their generation?
Sir Alex Ferguson has, it must be said, shown much of the cunningness that has kept him the manager at Old Trafford for the past quarter of a century, in handling this matter. Because despite his strained relations with Rooney
in the very recent past, he has never once spoken out against the man, but when the chorus of “unacceptable” rang out against Rooney by the Old Trafford faithful in Saturday’s draw against West Brom, Sir Alex immediately decided to defend his player at a press
conference. Perhaps it was meant to show Rooney how much the club and the manager care about him. But the truth is when a player has his heart set on leaving a club, which reportedly is already a given in Rooney’s case, not too much can persuade him to change
his decision, as can be deduced from many such examples.
Having said that, the matter of a buyer club still remains, and here United can put some hurdles in Rooney’s way. For it is very unlikely that they would willingly hand over their most prized asset to Manchester City, bitter rivals
as the two are. That can only be done if they put too high a price tag on him to turn the Sheikhs away from him. Looking at the bucket loads of gold the Sheikhs have though, this would be easier said than done if City really want Rooney. Also floating about
are rumours that Barca and Real Madrid are interested in Rooney too, and Jose Mourinho has come out today saying that although he would advise Rooney to stay at United, he would consider making a bid for him if he was up for sale. The statement should alert
United to his intentions at least.
All said and done though, now that it is almost certain that Rooney is not willing to sign a new contract come August, almost because far more unlikelier things than Rooney changing his mind and staying at United have happened
in the mad footballing world of today, United should eat humble pie and make the most they can out of this debacle by selling Rooney in January rather than letting him go as a free agent next season.
Tags: