Chelsea Transfer Rumours: Blues Should End Bid for Wayne Rooney

Perhaps Chelsea should stick things out with its current 40-plus-million-pound man before buying another one who plays the same position.

Just a thought. 

Listen, there is absolutely no denying Wayne Rooney's talent.

The 27-year-old had, by most accounts, a "bad" season last year. He struggled with his fitness, never really seemed happy or comfortable and didn't always look like himself. Despite all of that, he contributed to 22 goals—12 goals and 10 assists—in 27 Premier League appearances.

So, in a season that could very easily be argued as his "floor," Rooney finished tied for seventh in the EPL in goals+assists, despite missing 11 matches. Not bad.

Rooney may be a little bit a of a loose cannon, sure. But he's a loose cannon who is strong, who is energetic, who can finish dribbles, find open teammates and finish clinically from anywhere around the box.

You won't find many players with his combination of versatility—he plays striker, he plays the midfield, he plays on the left, he plays on the right, he plays at the zoo—and production, and as such, it's not surprising that Chelsea is reportedly considering breaking the bank for him.

The Independent's Simon Johnson has the report of a potential £40-million bid:

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Chelsea are set to return with an improved offer for Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney - with the club readying a bid of £40m.

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The Evening Standard report that Rooney remains Chelsea's main target this summer - and having seen a bid of £27m rejected - are prepared to make a much improved offer that could tempt United to part with the England international.

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In the right circumstances, Rooney could potentially be worth £40 million, which would be one of the biggest transfers of all time. But the circumstances aren't right for Chelsea. 

First, and foremost, Jose Mourinho already has three capable strikers. 

Most intriguing of the bunch is undoubtedly Romelu Lukaku. 

The 20-year-old Belgian international scored 17 goals in 35 appearances while on loan with West Brom last season, including a hat-trick against Manchester United. He's big, strong, fast and full of potential.

If Mourinho didn't plan on giving him full time on the first team, he would have sent him out on another loan. Now that he's entrenched at Stamford Bridge, there's no explanation for him not to get consistent first-team duties.

That leaves Fernando Torres to either back him up or play next to him. 

Torres receives plenty of flak because he has failed to live up to his £50-million expectations, but he quietly showed glimpses of being a dangerous goal-scorer last year. At the very least, he improved after an atrocious debut season. 

Give him a chance to improve again before cutting the cord on a player you sunk £50 million into. 

Demba Ba struggled after a midseason switch to Chelsea last year, but let's not forget how productive he was with Newcastle. As a third option, he is more than solid. 

That's a trio strikeforce that most teams would do very bad things to obtain.

Rooney is versatile, yes, but I think he made it pretty clear playing behind Robin van Persie that his preference is at forward. 

Chelsea could potentially sell Torres or Ba once acquiring Rooney, but it's still going to be an expensive price to pay just to upgrade an offensive attack that really doesn't need upgrading. 

There are many reasons to make the case for Rooney, but there are about 40 million to make the case against him.