Manchester United's Extravagant Summer Spending Could Cost Them Rooney

There’s been considerable speculation about what Wayne Rooney’s role will be at Manchester United following the club’s significant outlay on players this summer, particularly in the attacking department. The arrivals of Angel Di Maria and Radamel Falcao—plus the presence of Robin van Persie—have put Rooney’s starting role under threat, but the upheaval of the club’s wage structure could drive the striker from the club altogether.

Formed United star Paul Parker has called for Rooney to be dropped, a sentiment echoed by many United fans in light of the new recruits and his indifferent form. However, Parker’s comments miss a crucial nuance about Rooney. In all likelihood, he’ll either be starting for United, or not there at all.

Rooney has twice requested transfers in the past, with the second due to his perceived loss of star-man status following the signing of Van Persie. Now, with the presence of the Dutchman, Di Maria and Falcao all threatening Rooney’s status as United’s key player, it’s not hard to anticipate the striker’s happiness again waning. However, there’s a factor that could accelerate Rooney’s departure more so than his diminishing importance to the team—money.

Sir Alex Ferguson has stated that Rooney’s transfer requests—ostensibly linked to the club’s perceived lack of ambition in the market and the aforementioned signing of Van Persie—were at least partially motivated by money, per the Daily Mail.

Until this summer, Rooney was United’s undisputed No. 1 earner, with the BBC's Gary Rose reporting that his current contract is worth around £300,000 per week. Given Ferguson’s assertions, it’s fair to say that Rooney considers his pay to be inextricably linked to his worth in the club’s eyes, and he’s unlikely to settle for being second best.

There’s been little word of how much Di Maria is earning at United. However, Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has stated that the Argentine was asking for wages similar to those of Cristiano Ronaldo to stay at the Bernabeu, per Spanish publication AS (h/t Yahoo Sport). Ronaldo earns around £17 million currently, per The Independent, and assuming that United acquiesced to his demands, Di Maria will be earning somewhere around £320,000 per week.

There’s been less secrecy around Falcao’s arrangement with the club, thanks in part to his agent Jorge Mendes touting him around to several clubs. The Colombian is said to be earning up to £346,000 per week, per the Express' Jamie Anderson, dwarfing Rooney’s earnings. 's Mark Ogden reported a lower figure, although he still states that Falcao's pay will overtake Rooney’s. Falling behind two new signings in both the pecking order and earnings will be a double insult that Rooney is unlikely to take.

The main difference between this season and those in which Rooney has previously made clear his unhappiness is that it’s unlikely that the Red Devils will bow to his demands this time.

In his favour, Ferguson and former United chief executive David Gill are no longer involved—handing in a third request to them would surely have been the last straw. On the other hand, Rooney now matters considerably less in the grand scheme of things for United. Van Persie has been more productive since signing, and it’s not hard to envision Di Maria and Falcao following suit this term.

Rooney, on the other hand, has struggled for some time now. Some of his explosiveness has deserted him, and he rarely looked capable of rousing the team from their David Moyes-induced coma last season. It could be argued that he’s already earning too much as it is. Should he issue a wage-related ultimatum, United and Louis van Gaal would be wise to call his bluff.