Manchester United Reportedly Open to Selling Wayne Rooney This Summer

Wayne Rooney had been the subject of transfer rumors earlier in his career with Manchester United, and a day after the Red Devils’ Champions League exit, the star is once again making his way into the tabloids.

ESPN FC’s Miguel Delaney reported the following on the developing situation:  

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Manchester United will consider the sale of Wayne Rooney in the summer for a fee of around £35 million, ESPN understands.

An Old Trafford source said that any prospective transfer was dependent on a "complicated chain of events", but one that could also see Cristiano Ronaldo end up back at the club. 

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Delaney cites one of his own reports from January, stating that Ronaldo has reached out to his old club about a possible return to the Premier League. 

Recent events add to this story, as the Portuguese star scored the game-winning goal against United in its Champions League showdown with Real Madrid, while Rooney was left out of the starting 11 and did not see the pitch until the 73rd minute.  

Rooney currently has 11 goals and nine assists in Premier League matches this season and has adapted to a new role. He has featured as an attacking central midfielder this season more often due to Robin van Persie’s arrival. 

Ronaldo has continued his remarkable goal-scoring pace for Madrid and has recorded 24 goals in league fixtures.

While Rooney’s rumored exit would be met with dismay among United supporters, the displeasure would certainly die down if Ronaldo were brought in as his replacement. 

But Delaney points out that a simple switch is not how this potential deal would go down, and outlines a number of scenarios. He notes Rooney may also be sold to Paris Saint-Germain, while Nani could be offered in a deal to bring back Ronaldo, and Borussia Dortmund’s Robert Lewandowski is a potential replacement for the Englishman if the Madrid star is unavailable. 

With months to go until the transfer window reopens, Rooney and United will surely be the subject of more transfer gossip going forward.