Manchester United face a major decision to make in the coming months, as clubs from the MLS in the United States and from the Chinese Super League line up to sign their captain Wayne Rooney, but only if the Red Devils pay up his contract in one lump sum and allow him to leave for free. If not, Rooney is likely to run down the rest of his £300,000 a week contract until it expires in 2018, claim the Mirror.
It is currently seeming increasingly unlikely and difficult for Rooney to get back into the United first team just weeks after being dropped to the Old Trafford bench with Ander Herrera and Juan Mata partnering Paul Pogba in the middle of midfield. However, Rooney remains club captain and it seems unlikely that the club will want to pay £26 million to allow him to leave now, when he could continue to provide experience around the squad and an option from the bench, but the England captain may force a move.
Rooney’s chances will be even more limited if Paul Pogba gets his way, as he told the Manchester Evening News that he wants to play in a more advanced role, saying:
I try to adapt. I am a player who would rather go forward. The coach gave me instructions, I try to follow them. I have to retrieve balls and make defensive efforts. It cost me a bit to play differently, much like Pirlo. I have to play, be there to recover and play more for the team.
Pogba has struggled to justify his £89 million fee in the opening weeks of his return to Manchester, but shone for his country as France saw off the Netherlands in World Cup qualifying action this week, with Pogba’s superb goal opening the scoring. If given an opportunity in a more advanced role, like he has with France, he may be able to replicate that form for United.
The Spanish press are reporting that defender Matteo Darmian has been offered to giants FC Barcelona after rumours began to circulate that their current right-back Aleix Vidal is set to leave the club in January. Darmian has no future at Old Trafford after Mourinho has made it clear that he will only play in cup games and as a last resort.
There had been rumours linking him with a move to Inter Milan, and these rumours may just be being used to try to speed up negotiations in the move, with Inter believed to be stalling on the matter of personal terms. Either way, we can expect that Darmian will no longer be a United player come the end of January.
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