Wayne Rooney is undoubtedly a Manchester United legend, but he is seriously considering leaving the club in a very unceremonious fashion.
The Chinese transfer window doesn’t close until the end of February, meaning Rooney could still accept an offer from a club in China through the end of the month. According to the Telegraph, Rooney is considering offers of up to $39 million per year from the Chinese league, and leaving Manchester United soon is still very much on the table.
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Rooney has clearly declined as he sits at 31 years old, maybe quicker than some had imagined. As a result, he’s been out of Jose Mourinho’s starting lineup since December. United hasn’t lost since the Chelsea match in late October, and Rooney has started just three games throughout that span.
At the end of the January transfer window, Jose Mourinho was adamant he would not be losing any other players after selling Memphis Depay and Morgan Schneiderlin, arguing that to thin the squad any further would put it at serious risk of injury and leave it lacking depth to rotate when needed.
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Now though, despite currently building a new house in England, the report claims those in the Chinese Super League are pushing hard to complete the move immediately. The Chinese league season begins in early March, so clearly the clubs in pursuit have reason to look for an urgent solution. Teams linked include Guangzhou Evergrande, managed by former Brazil boss Luiz Felipe Scolari, and Beijing Guoan, who reportedly tried to sign Rooney last summer.