Wayne Rooney Should Be Chelsea's No. 1 January Transfer Target

He may not have admitted it publicly, but Jose Mourinho had given up the ghost by the time Chelsea faced Manchester United at Old Trafford last week.

The Blues had openly pursued Wayne Rooney for much of the summer, yet with stories of his disenchantment with life at Old Trafford continuing to circulate, the closer the transfer window came to closing, the clearer it became that he wouldn't be leaving.

Rooney started against the Blues in their early-season bout, too, and as if to remind Chelsea of just what they were missing, United's No. 10 put in an excellent performance, despite the game ending in a stalemate.

Rather than turn Mourinho off Rooney, his display that night should only make the Portuguese even more determined to bring him to Stamford Bridge.

"One way or another he has to say 'I want to leave' or 'I want to stay,'" a clearly frustrated Mourinho explained to BBC Sport after the game. "The person that started the story has to finish the story. For the good of everyone, it is time to finish the story."

Rooney didn't heed Mourinho's advice, and while the transfer window has now officially closed, we're no closer to actually knowing his state of mind, nor his desire to remain a United player or not.

What is clear, however, is that with each passing month as we approach January, Rooney's contract at Manchester United will slowly reduce with it. And, come the New Year, the power his club yielded this summer in blocking his move to Stamford Bridge would have diluted significantly.

The point is, David Moyes didn't have to sell Rooney in this transfer window. He held all the cards and was able to keep the player under his terms, a move some have applauded as striking a blow to player power.

Indeed, it probably has in some regards, but let's not fool ourselves here; in the case of Rooney, it's only temporary.

With 18 months remaining on his contract come the next transfer window, Manchester United will find themselves facing a conundrum if Chelsea return with a significant offer for Rooney's services.

Do they stand firm and deny the move, or cash in on a player whose value will be dropping every month he comes closer to being a free agent? What United demand in January will be far more than they can ask for a player entering the last year of his contract a few months later.

There's only so far any football club is willing to take things. After all, money talks in this business, as Real Madrid can only testify. Would the Glazer family be willing to miss out on funds merely to appease fans or thwart a rival? It's unlikely.

He was willing to do it these past few months and Mourinho should look to test United's resolve once more. To acquire a player of Rooney's talents—Fernando Torres, Samuel Eto'o or not—the stakes are too high for him to pass.

"Every player has a price" that famous footballing proverb reads. Well, Rooney's price may just be right come January.

Garry Hayes is Bleacher Report's lead Chelsea correspondent and will be following the club from a London base throughout the 2013-14 season. Follow him on Twitter here @garryhayes