Roberto Mancini denies contact with Wayne Rooney
Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini has said his club have had no contact with Wayne Rooney, Manchester United's impatient striker.
United manager Sir Alex Ferguson told reporters on Tuesday, 19 October that Rooney informed him of his desire to leave Old Trafford in August. Immediately, speculation in the press linked the England striker
to several clubs, with City among them.
But Mancini, who has been in charge at City since December last year, said he is fully focused on City's Europa League clash against Lech Poznan on Thursday, 21 October, and that he thinks Rooney will
remain with Ferguson's side.
"My focus must be on the Europa League at this moment, the other things are not important. I can say that Rooney is a great player but I think he will stay at United," Mancini told
Sky Sports, joining Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho in predicting that the striker will not leave United. "For me, he is a United player at this moment and it is not correct [the rumours]. I will only speak about City."
Could reunite with Tevez at City
Mancini, who said there has "never" been any contact between his club and Rooney, already spent lavishly on players this summer.
But with Emmanuel Adebayor, Mario Balotelli and Jo failing to impress for City in attack, Rooney could form the logical complement to captain Carlos Tevez—Rooney's former United teammate.
With Tevez carrying City's offence on his shoulders, Mancini has also been said to be scouting for strikers elsewhere. FC Cologne's Lukas Podolski, a star at this year's World Cup for Germany, has been
said to be a potential target.
After the game against Poznan, City host Arsenal in the Premier League on Sunday, 24 October.
Arsene Wenger's team are third in the table, three points behind City, rendering the match especially important.
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