Roomania: Is It Just Paper Talk?
ManUtd.com´s Steve Bartram looks at the latest newspaper stories claiming Wayne Rooney is set to join United...
If you believe everything you read in the newspapers, then a deal to bring England hero Wayne Rooney to Manchester United is imminent.
But with an ever-soaring price tag, a broken fifth metatarsal bone and moneybags Chelsea waiting in the wings, a move to Old Trafford - for the moment at least - seems some way off.
The newspaper stories linking Rooney with the Reds are reminiscent of the time when United were in the running to sign Paul Gascoigne from Newcastle. Sir Alex Ferguson still rues the day the Geordie genius headed for the bright lights of London and joined Tottenham instead.
Many observers have compared Rooney to Gascoigne but genuine parallels between the pair grind to a halt after you establish that both are supremely gifted footballers with an apparent aversion to salad. Beyond that, there are no indications that Rooney is set to follow the ill-fated path that Gazza stumbled down.
If Gazza was an extrovert, Rooney comes across as level-headed and firmly anchored on planet earth, despite the tabloid hysteria. Goals are celebrated with a shy embarrassment, interviews and photo shoots are meekly but readily granted and he seemingly has no inclination to be lured by the trappings of fame. In short, the boy looks every inch a Manchester United player.
And so what about the fee? £50million? £100million? £7.5billion? ( Yes, one tabloid newspaper went into billions!) Statistics and common sense denote that a much, much lower fee should be on the cards.
So far, Rooney has scored 26 career goals. Last season, he scored nine goals in 40 games for Everton, and the same number of goals in just 12 games for England. Read what you will into those statistics and their implications.
Rumour has it that Rooney has told friends he would relish a move to United, and will snub the offer of a new five-year deal at Goodison Park. His current deal runs out in 18 months, which leaves Everton with a potential scenario of losing their prized asset for nothing.
Rooney´s current injury is likely to keep him at Everton for at least the short term; the player´s medical being an important part of any transfer ( just ask Ruud van Nistelrooy). Prospective buyers might wait until the January transfer window before making their move.
Of course, the final word remains with Everton and Rooney. If the player doesn´t want to leave, and the club wish to keep him, then the big guns are just going to have to quietly watch and covet.
Report by Steve Bartram.
