Source: FOOTYMAD
Rooney: what happens next?
The footballing world is still struggling to adjust to the sudden availability of the England striker Wayne Rooney for transfer, with potential suitors reluctant to declare an interest in the Manchester United forward. Rooney, 24, has told the Red Devils he wants to leave the club he joined from Everton in 2004. He told the club of his desire in August, but it only became public this weekend when the player's agent briefed journalists that he had suffered a breakdown in his working relationship with manager Sir Alex Ferguson. Ferguson refuted the suggestion of a fallout with the forward on Wednesday, but confirmed he had asked to leave the club after indicating he would not sign a contract extension. Few clubs have been suggested as potential destinations for Rooney, with only Manchester City and Chelsea considered to have the financial resources to make a move for him in the Premier League. A move to City would tarnish his reputation with United fans, but their wealth - they are funded by Sheikh Mansour, a member of the Abu Dhabi royal family - means they could outbid anyone. Real Madrid are traditionally the biggest spending club in Spain, with them or Barcelona his most likely destination if he leaved England. Jose Mourinho, the Real coach, did concede an interest when pushed after his side's 2-0 Champions League win over AC Milan on Tuesday night. He said no club would turn down the forward if they can afford him. "Everybody will be interested. But I like him, I like Sir Alex, I like Man United and I believe the best thing for him is to stay there for life," he said, speaking to Sky Sports. "He probably wants to leave for some reason but I believe he belongs to Man United I believe he is going to stay.If at the end of the day Man United decide that he is to leave, then give me a call." Harry Redknapp, the Tottenham Hotspur manager, did not believe his club could afford Rooney. "You've got to be interested when the very, very best players become available but it would be a big ask [for Tottenham]," he said. "I'm sure there'll be some big fish out there wanting to take Rooney, that's for sure. He's a fantastic player. He's having a bad spell, he's had a bad two or three months, but he's a great player." Although it is unclear what motivation Rooney has for wanting to leave Old Trafford - Ferguson made it clear the club would offer him a salary to match anything on offer elsewhere - it has raised questions over the club's financial state. They have debts of around £800million following the takeover by the Glazer family in 2005, and would struggle to find money to replace Rooney unless they receive a sizeable transfer fee for him in January. "We back Sir Alex's judgement, but our concern lies with the owners. They have saddled us with a huge debt, they are taking more and more money out of the club every season and the lack of net investment in the squad since they arrived is clear to all," read a statement from the Manchester United Supporters Trust, who have orchestrated the green and gold campaign to try and force the American family to sell up. "They've bought players but are they like for like replacements in terms of the quality of Ruud van Nistelrooy, Roy Keane and Cristiano Ronaldo? The question being asked by many fans is does the ambition of the owners match that of Rooney or indeed Manchester United supporters? On the evidence so far it would appear the answer is clearly not."
