The Manchester United star is keen leave Old Trafford ahead of the impending appointment of David Moyes, with the striker said to be unwilling to work under his former boss
EXCLUSIVE
By Wayne VeyseyArsenal and Chelsea have joined the scramble to sign Wayne Rooney from Manchester United this summer.
The two London heavyweights have registered their interest in the United forward after being alerted to his potential availability.
Goal understands that Rooney’s resolve to leave Old Trafford has been strengthened by the impending appointment of David Moyes, who will be confirmed as Sir Alex Ferguson’s successor on Thursday.
Sources have said that the striker, who has had his differences with Moyes in the past, is unwilling to work under his former boss and his first manager in professional football.
England’s talisman told Ferguson two weeks ago that he wanted a transfer at the end of the season but the Scot made it clear that the club were not willing to sell him.
Rooney has grown increasingly frustrated with his downgrade in status at Old Trafford, which culminated in him being dropped for United’s biggest game of the season, the Champions League last-16 second-leg tie against Real Madrid.
As revealed by Goal in March, the 27-year-old harboured doubts about his future long before the Real showdown. He is believed to have told team-mates during the international break in the first week of February that he could leave United in the summer.
All of Europe’s leading clubs have been alerted to Rooney’s situation in recent days.
Paris Saint-Germain had expressed an interest earlier in the year but Chelsea, Bayern Munich and, more surprisingly, Arsenal have now asked to be kept informed of developments in what is shaping up to be one of the biggest transfer sagas of the summer.
Wayne Rooney
Not sure how we're going to fit Cavani, Jovetic, Higuain and Rooney but I suppose he'd be good back up.
Wages too high.
Cesc before shrek
Would be a dream come true but pipe dream.
A dream come true? Really?
Get a grip.
Obviously an amazing player, but I couldn't stand to see him in an Arsenal shirt.
You guys would get over it pretty soon.
Would take him in a heart beat tbh.
I don't even think he is an amazing player. His spells of poor form are too long and too frequent to be classed as such.
Ability wise he is class. There is no denying that. He just doesn't always seem completely arsed. I don't think he has the same passion for the game he had years ago.
A new challenge could freshen him up though, who knows. He's obviously not happy at Man U.
For me he's easily the best player in the country when he's fit and fired up.
Would be extremely strange to see him playing for us. I'd obviously get behind him, but not sure I could like him. Though the reality is we're so bereft of top players that I doubt many Arsenal fans would say no, despite him being a massive cunt. And a massive cunt whose cheating against us down the years still angers me, and I'm sure lots of others, to this day.
I don't think that he'd ever agree to join us.
I can't see him wanting to move abroad, I expect him to end up at City or Chelsea.
Ricky1985 wrote:For me he's easily the best player in the country when he's fit and fired up.
Perhaps I am mistaken but haven't you always said he's just a good player at best? And highly overrated? Or do/did you mean that generally, when he's not at his sharpest and most hungry?
And do you mean he's the best player in the Premiership when he's in the mood or the best English player?
Sure, why not. Like Fabregas, he'll be one of the best players on the market if he's looking to leave.
He's genuinely out of our budget though.
edit: I just realised how pointless this post is. Carry on.
Ricky1985 wrote:Obviously an amazing player, but I couldn't stand to see him in an Arsenal shirt.
That's all there is to it.
I'd be up for this just to do one over them. That's it. The guy is a massive cunt.
Signing Rooney would be amazing both off and on the pitch. Would be a ridiculous statement of intent.