Manchester United legend Roy Keane and Paul Scholes has slammed Rooney after his agent flew to China in order to make his client the highest paid player in the world.
Red Devils legend and the club’s highest scorer Wayne Rooney is now set to quit Manchester United within the next few days.
Rooney had been under the radar of several Premier League and Chinese Super League clubs and now he has been linked with a £1million-a-week offer from China.
Rooney’s agent Paul Stretford has played a pivotal role in the striker’s incredible career and is now holding talks with several Chinese Super League clubs who are willing to offer the United skipper a whooping wage packet of £1million a week.
Foottheball sources claim that Stretford travelled to China a few days ago and held talks with Tianjin Quanjian bosses.
He spent time in Tianjin and finally checked out of the Renaissance Hotel in the city on Tuesday and sources also claim that he is now also looking forward to hold talks with other potential suitors who are ready to offer a heft wage packet.
A spokesman for Tianjin Quanjian said: “We have no official news about Wayne Rooney at this stage.”
However, the club boss Fabio Cannavaro confirmed that he had approached Wayne Rooney over a potential transfer move but now the negotiations have stalled after he believed that the English skipper does not suit the club’s game style.
Rooney was out of action in the last two games due to a root canal surgery on a tooth but the club legend had joined his teammates in training.
The skipper had only taken part in the warm-up routine and Mourinho chose to axe him as his men travelled to Saint Etienne for the second leg win in their Europa League last 32 game.
Mourinho chose to axe him as his men travelled to Saint Etienne for the second leg win in their Europa League last 32 clash. But Manchester United legend Roy Kane claims that the English skipper still has a lot left in him to make it to the top.
Keane said: “There’s no way Wayne Rooney should be going to China.”
“He can still play football and still play at the top level in England, Germany, Spain, Italy. Madness.”
“Going to China? Madness. He’s 31-years of age. There’s plenty left yet for Wayne Rooney to do in Europe. “I don’t think he’s short of money is he.”
Legendary midfielder and former Manchester United super star Paul Scholes also criticised Wayne Rooney’s decision to make a switch to the cash-rich Chinese Super League.
Scholes accentuated that China is not the right place for Wayne Rooney and stressed that a move to the MLS would be better for the Manchester United skipper.
Scholes said: “He is a family man and it doesn’t seem the right place for him to go. It is the right place to go financially, obviously, but maybe he will go back to Everton for a couple of years.”
“I think America will be better for him. Do what Steven Gerrard did, do what David Beckham did. The lifestyle will be better over there.”
When asked whether Rooney should make a switch after lacking game time under Mourinho this season, Scholes accentuated that any possible switch should be made to ensure first-team role for the next couple of years.
Scholes added: “I don’t know if he should go, but I think he will want to go.”
“Wayne is a player who wants to play football every week, whether it is a big game or a small game, he wants to play.”
“This will be hurting him at the minute, not being selected for the bigger games. He will get frustrated. I don’t see him hanging about if he is not playing in the big games, but I hope there is a bit of fight left in him.”
“We are probably being a bit premature. He is only 31, he still has time to fight his way back into this team.”
Sources also revealed that one of the Chinese Super League clubs have offered Stretford a three-year-deal for Rooney that would see the Man Utd legend taking home a whooping wage packet of £650,000-a-week after tax.
The club is also ready to pay the first six months of Rooney’s salary in advance and also the signing- on fee – that would see Rooney immediately pocket £25m.
A source said: “Wayne has generally been very happy at United for the past 13 years and was delighted to become the club’s record goalscorer.”
“But he has dropped down the pecking order and there comes a time in everyone’s career when you have to consider whether it might be sensible to move. He’s not agitating for a move but, if the right offer comes in, something is likely to happen.”
“It’s highly unlikely a move will be completed before the end of the Chinese Super League transfer window though.”
But now any record-breaking bid for Rooney will have to be first sanctioned by Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Rooney has showed sparks of brilliance this season but the England skipper has only featured in one game in the last nine under Mourinho.
At present Rooney takes home a wage packet of £250,000-a-week and his contract with Manchster United in the next 18 months but it is believed that the club bosses are not keen to extend his stay at Old Trafford by a year.
And now it is only a matter of time to find out whether Rooney opts to stay put in England or he makes a switch to China on a mega-money move.