Where would Wayne Rooney go if he left Manchester United?
Reports in the UK say that Jose Mourinho is keen to sell United's captain but where would he go? We take a look at 5 possible destinations.
Rooney close to the Old Trafford exit door?
It’s becoming clearer and clearer by the day that Wayne Rooney won’t be first-choice for Jose Mourinho but England’s all-time record cap holder is still reluctant to leave the club. According to reports in the UK he has one final objective at Manchester United: to become the club’s all-time record goalscorer and to beat Sir Bobby Charlton’s record that has stood since the 1970s.
Charlton scored 249 goals for the club in 758 games between 1956 and 1973. Rooney, who has played 537 games, is just 3 short of equalling Charlton’s record, and 4 away from reaching the magic number: 250. His recent form in front of goal, however, has been poor. The United captain has scored just 2 in his last 23 games, the most recent coming in the first game of the season against Bournemouth. Since then he’s gone 635 minutes without a goal.
Many fans believe that this season won’t be Rooney’s last at Old Trafford – bookmakers in the UK reflect this belief – but if he were to leave, where would he go?
LA Galaxy
The current favourite among bookmakers and the second-favourite among punters. Paddy Power has odds of 11/4 of the United captain ending up in California, following in the footsteps of former England teammates David Beckham, Steven Gerrard and Ashley Cole.
Chelsea
60% of punters see Rooney at Stamford Bridge. Whether that’s a genuine prediction or more a case of wanting to see him back in blue, the same colour he wore for boyhood club Everton, isn’t clear. It’s also not immediately obvious where he would fit in Antonio Conte’s side as the Italian looks to establish himself at the club.
Everton
One for romantics. Could Rooney be tempted to return to Goodison Park to finish his career? Sadly the chances are low, according to bookmakers. Betvictor are offering odds of 3/1, while Paddy Power think it’s even more unlikely at 10/1. But it’s not unknown for footballers to want to round out their careers with a club close to their heart. Could Rooney do the same?
Shanghai SIPG
Moving to China would be the lucrative option, and reports in the UK say he could expect a wage packet of over €25 million per season. In Shanghai he’d reunite with Sven-Goran Eriksson, the man who gave him his England debut at the age of just 17, though the Swede is only under contract until 2017.
Guangzhou Evergrande
Another powerhouse in the growing Chinese Super League. There he’d form a fearsome attacking partnership with former Atlético Madrid striker Jackson Martínez, who joined the club for a whopping €42 million last season. The club has always gone for big name managers. Former Brazil and Chelsea coach Luis Felipe Scolari is in the current man in the hot seat, following in the footsteps of Marcelo Lippi and Fabio Cannavaro.
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