Wayne Rooney Could Transfer To Chinese Super League In February

For the umpteenth time this year, Manchester United forward Wayne Rooney has been linked with a move to the Chinese Super League. But it turns out that the transfer might happen sooner rather than later, though, as the latest speculation has alleged that Rooney could move to the Far East by the end of the month.

The Telegraph has speculated that several clubs from the Chinese Super League are interested in acquiring Wayne Rooney from the English giants. While the English transfer window came to an end in January, there’s still a chance that Wayne Rooney could depart Old Trafford in the next few days as the transfer window for the Chinese Super League closes in 10 days.

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has previously insisted that he wants Wayne Rooney to remain at Old Trafford for at least the rest of the season, especially because Manchester United are competing on four fronts in the Europa League, EFL Cup, the FA Cup, and for Champions League qualification, too.

However, Wayne Rooney might decide to push for a transfer to China in the next few days because he has recently become more and more surplus to requirements at Manchester United. In fact, Wayne Rooney hasn’t actually started a Premier League match for Manchester United since the middle of December. If Wayne Rooney decides that the time is now right for him to leave Manchester United, then he has less than 10 days to push it through.

The deal could work out rather well for both Wayne Rooney and Manchester United, too. That’s because the Telegraph also reported that Wayne Rooney could earn as much as $40 million a year from the Chinese club that he potentially transfers to, while Manchester United are also likely to receive a substantial fee for him, as well. While a move to China is more likely to occur in the summer, the publication insisted that clubs are intent on making it occur in the near future.

Jose Mourinho previously made it clear that Wayne Rooney will decide his own future. In fact, Mourinho insisted, via the Independent, that if Wayne Rooney wanted to leave for China then he wouldn’t stop him from doing so.

“It is up to him. I don’t like to be critical of those who go to China. It is their life. The money is huge; the experience can also be interesting. I know some of my colleagues think they are more important than they are and that they can interfere in the lives of other people but I am not that sort of guy. Everybody is responsible for their own career. In Wayne’s case I have no idea because he has never mentioned it to me. I think he has more to give us but, I repeat, you reach a certain level in your career when it is up to him. Could anyone have been critical of Zlatan Ibrahimovic if last season he decided to go to China or the USA – one guy who has had this amazing career? It is the same with Wayne.”

Wayne Rooney has more than earned the right to decide his future, as he has been at Manchester United for 13 years. During this time, Wayne Rooney has been hugely successful, winning five Premier League titles, an FA Cup, two League Cups, four Community Shields, the Champions League, and the FIFA Club World Cup.

However, over the last few seasons, Wayne Rooney’s talent has waned, and in recent months, he has found himself relegated to Jose Mourinho’s bench, which is why it’s now more a matter of when rather than if he will actually leave Old Trafford.

[Featured Image by Getty/Alex Livesey]