Manchester United captain Wayne Rooney has come under immense media scrutiny over the last 18 months. Deemed to be one of the costliest yet ineffective players currently plying his trade in a Manchester United jersey, Rooney has seen his footballing stock drop a few notches over the mentioned period and has now gone from being the real captain of the club to another player who is seeking to salvage his reputation for club as well as country.
The player was linked with a move away from the club in the recently concluded transfer window and it is increasingly looking likely that he may be soon be playing in Asia as Chinese club Shanghai SIPG have renewed their interest in the Manchester United captain. Managed by former England manager Sven Goran Eriksen, the club had offered Rooney with an escape route out of Manchester by offering him a weekly wage of £500,000 which the player rejected.
However, if reports from The Mirror are to be believed the Chinese club have upped the ante and are readying up a package in excess of £80 million to bring the former Everton man to China.
Rooney joined Manchester United from Everton in a big money move as an 18-year-old and has gone on to win almost everything there is on offer for a player in the English Premier League (save for the Europa League, which he has played in) and has already etched himself in the glorious chapters of the club. However, the last few years have been harsh on the 30-year-old as he has been moved out of his preferred number 9 role into a midfield role, which in turn has impacted Rooney’s performances.
After a tough time under Louis Van Gaal, the appointment of Jose Mourinho as the manager of the Manchester Giants was supposed to breathe fresh life into the career of the player. However, that has not been the case as the player continues to be singled out for criticism by fans as well as pundits for his tame performances.
While Jose Mourinho continues to publicly express his love for the player, it is a well-known fact that managers tend to present players in a positive light in order to retain their market value and we believe that the “Special One” will be more than happy to part ways with his captain if the right offer comes along.
Rooney is set to turn 31 in the next few days and has 3 years left on his contract that currently sees him earn a massive £300,000 weekly wages and might be more than happy to see out his contract rather than make a move. However, he still has at least 2-3 years of top flight football left in him and might seek a move away from the club to experience extended spell outside England.
China on the other hand, are hoping to build on their footballing credentials and there would be no bigger way to showcase their ambitions than signing the captain of one of the biggest clubs in the world.
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