Manchester United and first-year manager David Moyes made it a top priority to be aggressive during the 2013 transfer window and while signing some of the big names in the game was surely a goal, another important item on Moyes' agenda was to figure out what the future held for long-time partners Man U and Wayne Rooney. Spending the last 9 seasons at Old Trafford, the 27-year-old forward has been truly instrumental in leading the Red Devils to 5 Premier League titles, 3 FA Community Shield titles and the 2007-2008 UEFA Champions League trophy.
Early speculation was that Rooney had grown unhappy with his role at Manchester United and wasn't optimistic about his chances of landing a full-time spot on the first team under Moyes, who officially took over for long-time coach Alex Ferguson on July 1, 2013. Though multiple teams certainly took interest in Rooney, his top potential suitor proved to be Chelsea and manager Jose Mourinho. Mourinho and The Blues submitted 2 separate bids for the forward and after each offer was rejected, many expected Mourinho to submit a third bid for a player he whole-heartedly desired.
In something of a twist however, the 50-year-old coach indicated that Wayne Rooney had 48 hours to request his departure from Manchester United after Chelsea and Man U played to a 0-0 draw earlier this week. Fully aware that David Moyes wasn't keen on selling Rooney, Mourinho indicated that if his club does not sign Rooney, back up plans will be put into action.
"We are going to sign another player if he is not coming," Mourinho said following the draw with Man U. "If he is not coming, I want to close another player. How long will we wait? 24, 48 hours. The person that started the story has to finish the story. A club like us, a manager like me, and the people that work in the club with me, we are not silly to try to get a player from a big club that doesn't sell what they don't want to sell. We are not silly to try something if somebody didn't start it. So I think it is time, for the good of everyone, to finish the story -- for one side, for the other side."
Putting together a solid performance in the recent tie against Chelsea, Wayne Rooney is not expected to verbalize his desire to leave Manchester United although many believe tensions still exist between he and his current club. Despite the fact that his star forward had been willing to depart Old Trafford in the past, David Moyes was surely pleased with Rooney's latest performance and doesn't believe a change of scenery is needed.
"I think Wayne has a positive mind at the moment, I don't think he needs to change," Moyes said recently to BBC Sport. "I think his performance said enough. I think his actions showed what he thought."
Since joining Man U in 2004 after spending 2 seasons at Everton, the 27-year-old has recorded 197 goals while establishing himself as one of the top scorers in the Premier League.
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