Chelsea Transfer News: Dealing for Wayne Rooney Would Motivate Younger Players

Chelsea are in the midst of a transitional period with Jose Mourinho back at the helm, and his first order of business is revamping his roster to contend for a Premier League title next term.

Of course, every team in the league has the same aspirations, but the Blues have the young talent to make it happen. What it may take, however, is the addition of a veteran scorer who can push that young talent to get better in the coming years.

It’s no secret Chelsea are in the running for Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney. Arguably the biggest name on the transfer market right now, the 27-year-old has been rumoured to have drawn interest from several clubs—the latest of which appears to be the most likely at this point.

According to Neil Ashton of the Daily Mail, Chelsea are preparing to offer £30 million for the embattled star, who isn’t sold on the idea of spending another term playing second fiddle to Robin van Persie:

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United turned down £23m in cash plus £2.5m in additional payments and insisted Rooney, 27, is not for sale.

Chelsea are happy to match Rooney’s bumper £240,000-a-week salary at United and they will also hand him a five-year contract — if he can force his way out of the Barclays Premier League champions.

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Whether the Blues can manage to pry Rooney from United remains to be seen, but the benefits of doing so would extend far beyond the pure talent the striker brings to the roster.

Budding Chelsea star Romelu Lukaku understands what adding Rooney would mean for his prospects—and those of the entire squad. As quoted by Martin Lipton of the Daily Mirror, the 20-year-old would expect a player like Rooney to push him to get better:

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I like competition. Obviously, if he does sign, it could be a good partnership but it is the manager's choice.

You have to accept that you have to work hard to make it a successful squad. If he is part of our team I will welcome him with open arms.

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Competition is a critical component to creating a successful group of players. United certainly feature that element, though, as the Rooney saga has shown, too much competition isn’t necessarily a good thing.

But at Chelsea, that same situation isn’t likely to be an issue. With all due respect to Juan Mata, Eden Hazard and Lukaku, Rooney wouldn’t be playing second fiddle to anyone at Stamford Bridge.

He would, however, be giving that trio something to strive for as they work toward a singular goal of Premier League glory. No elite player wants to lose playing time, and Rooney’s presence would give each of them a reason to work harder in an effort to keep his spot on the club.

The fit is perfect for both parties, but it’s understandable that United aren’t intent on selling one of their best players this summer, especially if it means moving him to a rival club with the firepower to challenge their EPL supremacy next term.