David Moyes begun his tenure at Manchester United this week, and like the new teacher at school, had a problem child in Wayne Rooney to deal with immediately. Moyes and Rooney’s relationship has been fractious at best since the former gave the latter his debut in professional football way back in 2002.
After Euro 2004 Everton inevitably lost Rooney to Manchester Utd. Subsequently Moyes would go on to sue Rooney over comments he made about him in his 2006 autobiography. In a coincidental twist of fate, Moyes arrives at Old Trafford in the midst of Rooney’s second (alleged) transfer request in three years and faces losing the player for a second time.
Rooney is without doubt a special player; he is the last of the English street footballers, but he does come with his problems, both on and off the field, which could severely limit his options should he decide to leave United. If Rooney’s best years are in front of him, there can’t be many of them; at 27 he is not getting any younger or fitter for that matter.
His British bulldog-style image can only take him so far and his attitude has caused him problems in the past; it took the might of Sir Alex Ferguson to harness his raw talent and energy and there are surely only a handful of other mangers in the world capable of managing Rooney.
With only two years remaining on his contract, United run the risk of letting him leave on the cheap if they hang on to him against his will, so it may well be in both parties’ best interests to let Rooney go this summer. Such a unique player would need a unique club.
There has been much written mooting Arsenal as a potential destination for Rooney, but the more you look into it, the more it becomes an implausible possibility. Arsene Wenger is known for guiding and nurturing his bargain buys into established stars of the beautiful game. Just look at Thierry Henry (who Wenger initially bought as a midfielder), Dennis Bergkamp and Robin van Persie.
Apparently, Arsenal have a war chest in excess of £75 million and are looking to invest in big names, but I just can’t see Wenger forking out a third of his annual budget on a player who is approaching the hill. Rooney’s previous issues in his private life also suggest that he may not be able to handle the bright lights of London, which would of course also put him out of the frame at Chelsea.
José Mourinho has been making eyes at Rooney in the press since his second coming as Chelsea manager, and the former Real Madrid boss has made little attempt in the past to hide his admiration for the United player. Mourinho is surely one of the only characters in the game who could handle Rooney, yet I can’t see Rooney fitting in at Chelsea.
Mourinho’s first Chelsea team was based around strength, with the spine of the team including John Terry, Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba, all three of whom went on to become Chelsea legends. Drogba is a player who resembles Rooney in his physicality, but not his position; while Drogba is an out-and-out striker, Rooney prefers the number ten role, dropping deep to collect to ball as opposed to sitting up top and waiting for it.
Also worth noting is the change in the team in Mourinho’s absence; Chelsea’s new looking attacking midfield consists of foreign flare players like Eden Hazard, Juan Mata and Oscar, playing off an out and out striker, not a number ten like Rooney. Chelsea would be much more suited to an established number 9, like the much coveted Edinson Cavani.
Manchester City tried to lure Rooney to the blue half of the City when the player requested a transfer back in 2010, and they could be Rooney’s only practical Premier League destination for several reasons. The move would suit Rooney’s family as they would not have to re-locate. City clearly have the funds for Rooney and are in the market for a new striker after Carlos Tévez’s departure and Edin Džeko’s predicted summer exodus.
It would be a sensational transfer if City could pull it off; they could really rub United’s face in it, perhaps even a new billboard would be in order!? Given City’s financial clout, it would almost be worth them buying Rooney when his record in Manchester derbies is considered! (He is the all-time highest goal scorer with ten)
Rooney’s serious options abroad could to be limited to French hi-rollers PSG and Monaco, who could both afford his services and offer him a route out of England. Rooney would be unlikely to be to adapt effectively to another league given his physical stature and knowledge and love of the English game. There have been whisperings, as there always are, that Real Madrid are interested; but these can surely be dismissed as rumours as Madrid’s strike force looks to be acquiring the likes of Luis Suárez and Cavani this summer.
So, could we see Rooney in the sky blue of City come August? It would surely be one of the most shocking Premier League transfers of all time if it happens. Rooney would undoubtedly provoke rage from many United fans in a move across Manchester to bitter rivals City.
The striker is certainly capable of causing such controversy; remember when he played for Everton and revealed a t-shirt saying ‘once a blue, always a blue’ just before signing for United? Or when he kissed the United badge in front of the Goodison Park faithful after scoring against his old team? United fans surely do, and now they could be worried that he’ll be doing it to them come next season.