Manchester United Transfer Rumours: David Moyes Must Part with Wayne Rooney

It was always going to end badly between David Moyes and Wayne Rooney.

The striker has made his intentions to quit Old Trafford clear, according to Jason Burt of The Telegraph, and may yet submit a transfer request even though Moyes has denied there is a rift.

The situation is quickly turning into a farce with the striker seemingly set on a move to Chelsea.

Moyes should now act like his predecessor, who worked to the philosophy that Manchester United are always bigger than any player.

Sir Alex Ferguson didn’t stand for Roy Keane’s open criticism, allowed David Beckham to head abroad with tension rising and managed the Cristiano Ronaldo saga so capably that the Portuguese winger may yet return to Manchester such is his love for the club.  

Despite being named in Roy Hodgson’s England squad for the friendly with Scotland, Rooney was ruled out of United’s Charity Shield match with Wigan due to a shoulder injury, as reported by the BBC.

All eyes will now turn to Wembley on Wednesday evening to see whether Rooney is happy to throw his body around, should he play a part for the Three Lions. If he does, then perhaps his injury was not the only reason keeping him out of Moyes’ plans.

The United boss insists all is well, according to The Telegraph’s Burt, but Rooney’s silence—aside from his much-debated Facebook post thanking Hodgson for his England call up—suggests that is not the case.

Although Moyes was the man who gave Rooney his chance in the Premier League with Everton, that now seems a very long time ago.

The two have a rough history with Moyes launching legal action against Rooney in 2008.

Moyes received a “sincere apology” and “substantial damages”, per The Telegraph, after suing Rooney for comments made in the striker’s autobiography, My Story So Far, about the striker’s move to United.

The present and the past tots up to create a situation which is untenable.

United must quickly identify a replacement and demand Chelsea pay a fee meriting Rooney's services, but his lingering presence is detrimental to the club’s ambitions of retaining the title.

Moyes needs stability in his first season in charge, and to get that he must dispose of Rooney.