Manchester United Transfer News: Wayne Rooney Proving Commitment to Red Devils

After a summer of tumult and reported unhappiness, it appears that English striker Wayne Rooney may not be itching to bolt Old Trafford after all. 

After Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho, according to Phil McNulty of the BBC, said on Monday that Rooney had 48 hours to submit a formal transfer request, there are now reports that the request will never be made. 

The BBC's Ben Smith stated that the 27-year-old "has no plans to force a move to Chelsea by handing in a transfer request."

If this report is true, it would seem like a good time to put to bed the talks of Rooney making the jump to Stamford Bridge. 

The transfer window has almost expired, and the Red Devils have made it abundantly clear that they aren't interested in selling Rooney. 

This all comes after Chelsea and Manchester United actually battled on the pitch instead of the rumour mill. The Red Devils hosted the Blues on Monday, and the result was a scoreless draw in the pivotal, albeit early, EPL contest. 

However, just as captivating as the score was the reaction that was received by one Mr. Rooney. 

After a summer of reports indicating Rooney was anxious to get out of Old Trafford, fans were cheering wildly every chance they got in support of Rooney. It was enough to even convince Mourinho that Rooney would not be leaving:

Of course, the lack of a transfer request only cements this belief, and it should give fans a reason to hold steadfast to the notion that Rooney is committed to his current club. However, this isn't the only reason to believe in Rooney's commitment. 

The biggest reason in this case comes in the form of a smaller region of Rooney: his waistline. Rooney has never been a streamlined player, and there have been times when he's come back from the offseason where he looked more like a darts pro with a slowing metabolism than a soccer player. 

However, despite not playing in any of the preseason action, Rooney has looked fairly fit, and he has played well. It is evident he still needs to work on his conditioning, but it's also evident he's been working toward preparing for the season. 

The Associated Press' John Leicester does a wonderful job of highlighting the kind of effort Rooney gave and the ability he flashed against Chelsea. While it's been open season on speculation in regards to Rooney's mental state away from the pitch, he's left no room to wonder about his heart on the pitch.

He's come to play this year, and apparently, he's content in playing at Old Trafford.