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Wayne Rooney transfer to China could hinge on whether Man Utd striker is in squad for EFL Cup final
Wayne Rooney’s prospects of moving to the Chinese Super League before the close of their transfer window next week could hinge on whether Jose Mourinho includes the Manchester United captain in his squad for Sunday’s EFL Cup final against Southampton.
Mourinho admitted on Tuesday that he could not guarantee Rooney would still be a United player after next Tuesday, when the Chinese transfer window closes, despite claiming that he would never push him out and wants him to stay.
But Rooney could decide that his interests would be best served by moving to China now, on wages of more than £600,000 a week, as opposed to the summer, if he fails to make Mourinho’s 18-man squad, which would offer the clearest indication yet that he does not figure prominently in the manager’s plans.
In turn, Mourinho repeatedly refused to kill off rumours Rooney could leave next week and said it was up to the player to deny something like that.
The Portuguese appears to be calling his bluff – if it is one.
“You have to ask him,” said Mourinho, when asked if he could end the speculation surrounding the England captain. “Of course, I can’t guarantee [he stays]. I cannot guarantee that I’m here next week, how can I guarantee that a player is here next season?
“What I can guarantee is that if one day Wayne leaves the club, it is not because I want him to leave the club. I would never push a legend of this club to another destiny.
“You have to ask him if he sees himself staying in the club for the rest of his career or sees himself moving.”
Asked again, whether he could guarantee Rooney would still be a United player after the close of the Chinese window, Mourinho added: “It is not a question for me because I am happy to have him.
“You have to ask him, not me. I was very open with you in the answer. I don’t want him to leave.” Mourinho said that Rooney had not travelled to France for the second leg of their Europa League round-of-16 tie in France because he was injured.
But Rooney trained with team-mates on Tuesday morning and is understood to have also been fit to face Blackburn Rovers in the FA Cup on Sunday.
Rooney’s last appearance for United came as a half-time substitute against Hull City in the Premier League on Feb 1 and the player, who has 16 months left on his existing £300,000-a-week contract at Old Trafford, is reluctant to remain a bit-part player after being gradually phased out by Mourinho.
As The Daily Telegraph revealed last Saturday, a move is very much still on and Rooney has offers worth at least £32 million a year, with Beijing Guoan, who tried and failed to sign him last summer, and Guangzhou Evergrande Taobao two of the clubs interested.
United would stand to earn a substantial fee for the 31-year-old and clear space on the wage bill for summer target Antoine Griezmann.
Mourinho added: “I don’t know [if he will be fit for the League Cup final on Sunday], it was the first time he trained and didn’t even train 100 per cent with the group.
“Yes, he was doing the warm-up and basic things after that but, when the training session was high in intensity, he was not training. He’s been injured for two or three weeks.”
Mourinho, though, also pointed out that United have done well without Rooney in the team. “When you don’t have a player, you have others...
“The team is in a good moment. In the past four months, we have lost one game and it was a game we could afford to lose as it was a two-legged semi-final. The team is in a good moment and Wayne Rooney is injured.”
Mourinho also refused to offer an olive branch to another England international Luke Shaw. The former Southampton player has played just once since the end of November and was also not on the plane to France.
“Luke Shaw has stayed at home because I’m playing Blind, Rojo, Darmian and they are playing like I want a full-back to play,” said Mourinho. “Luke has to wait for his chance, he has to keep getting better and he has to understand I give nothing away for free.
“For the players, it is very expensive, they have to give a lot, they have to work hard every day. He has to wait, because at the moment, he is behind the others.
It is a particularly hurtful snub this time, though, as Mourinho has not even taken Matteo Darmian on the trip, who is one of those competing with Shaw for a place in the squad.