Manchester United Transfer News: Holding onto Wayne Rooney Would Be Foolish

Manchester United have to find a new home for want-away Wayne Rooney.

If this is going to happen, they certainly aren't rushing into it.

The Independent's Jack de Menezes goes into more details. He speculates that Rooney "could be about to hand in a formal transfer request."

By all appearances, Rooney wants to go to Stamford Bridge, and there is little doubt he no longer wants to stay at Old Trafford.

Rooney and new Red Devils boss David Moyes recently met. As de Menezes reports, Rooney was steadfast in his desire to ditch his club.

Meanwhile, Jose Mourinho is circling like a shark. That's no surprise. His interest in Rooney has been clear. He's had the striker circled on his wishlist since the start of the transfer season. 

De Menezes passed along that Chelsea club secretary Dave Barnard stayed behind in London while the Blues left for America. The purpose, of course, is so he could oversee the negotiations for Rooney. 

There was another key in de Menezes' story. He reported "It is believed [Chelsea] will not bid over £30m for the 27-year-old."

So, the strategy for Man U is simple. They tell Chelsea they want £30m and then sell Rooney.

Last year, Rooney saw his Premier League goals drop from 27 to 12. Of course, there were a lot of factors playing into this. For starters, he struggled with injuries and only made 22 appearances.

Then, of course, there was the arrival of Robin van Persie knocking him from his spot as the go-to man.

Rooney never embraced whichever role he was placed in last year. He showed flashes as a central midfielder, but if he cared on defense, it was tough to tell. 

Rooney is still an impressive talent, and perhaps a change of scenery might rejuvenate him. However, with the injuries and a step lost, he looks like his best days are behind him. 

It would help if the Red Devils stepped up and made a big acquisition, but either way, Rooney has to go.

A club as decorated as the Red Devils doesn't need to hold onto a player rapidly slipping past his prime and doesn't want to be there.

It is time to take the money and run while building around players who that are eager to prove themselves at Old Trafford.