Manchester United Transfer News: Wayne Rooney Backed, Sergio Romero Rumours
Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal has "cooled his interest" in signing a new striker and is prepared to pin the club's hopes on Wayne Rooney, reported by Richard Tanner of the Express.
This line is followed by many English press outlets on Monday morning, including Neil Custis of the Sun, who believes Van Gaal has told the striker he will be United's primary goalscorer next season.
Robin van Persie and Radamel Falcao have recently departed the club, but with no luck in adding to the Red Devils' firepower, LvG is ready to back his captain, reported by Jamie Jackson of the Guardian:
"We still have Rooney, he can play in the striker’s position, and all the media had written (he can) play there so I listened. Also Chicharito (Javier Hernandez) and maybe (James) Wilson," noted Van Gaal. However, he suggested he won't give up on adding to the side's goalscoring potential: "Maybe there comes a surprise," he said.
Rooney endured a frustrating first season under the Dutch manager, one in which he was often deployed in midfield to add a physical presence to the centre.
WhoScored.com notes Rooney made 18 appearances in central midfield and behind the striker, compared to 15 up front. He netted 12 goals in the Premier League—his worst in four seasons—and often showed his best form when starting in his natural role.
The Englishman began the club's 1-0 pre-season win over Club America up top with new signing Memphis Depay buzzing just behind his position. Memphis believes he can form an effective partnership with the former Everton man, reported by the Press Association (h/t Yahoo):
"Wayne coached me a lot through the game and talked to me about which position I should take and when to defend," said Memphis. "We have to form a duo and I have the right feeling with him. It's an honour to play with such a legend like Wazza."
Samuel Luckhurst of the Manchester Evening News believes Rooney's team-mates will be key to his success (or lack thereof):
United continue to be linked with unneeded Barcelona forward Pedro Rodriguez, reported by Spanish publication Marca (h/t the Mirror). He isn't an out-and-out striker, but he would add to the number of versatile attackers in Van Gaal's squad.
The manager can easily deploy 4-3-3 (and slight variations) with Rooney stationed as the spearhead. Memphis, Angel Di Maria, Juan Mata and Ashley Young rank among those who could provide wide support. Pedro would add to this selection and the feeling that United still need a tall, powerful talisman to compete with Rooney for a place down the middle.
Youngster James Wilson netted just once last campaign and isn't ready to make a consistent impact. Javier Hernandez wasn't fancied and suffered limited opportunities while on loan at Real Madrid, but Van Gaal maintains the Mexican's "chances are better" now RvP and Falcao have departed, per Yahoo.
The same report notes Bayern Munich's Robert Lewandowski, Tottenham Hotspur's Harry Kane and Paris Saint-Germain's Edinson Cavani are all targets for Van Gaal. A player of this ilk—someone who is able to lead the line by themselves or in a partnership with Rooney—is needed before the start of the season.
B/R UK's Sam Tighe believes United should stump up the cash for Lewandowski:
Van Gaal is moving closer to finalising a deal for goalkeeper Sergio Romero, a player who will replace Victor Valdes at the club, according to James Ducker of the Times.
Ducker notes David De Gea is "likely to stay" before joining Madrid next summer, so Romero's playing time will be limited if he does arrive in England. Valdes' time at Old Trafford appears to be at an end after Van Gaal publicly suggested he refused to play for United's reserves last season, reported by Simon Stone of BBC Sport.
Another summer of significant changes has descended over United. It's extremely risky to start the season with Rooney as the focal point. He generally scores in fits and starts, so a world-class back-up is needed if United are to compete over four fronts.
Supporters will constantly worry about Rooney's form and fitness if he remains the sole hope to rack up goals. United are looking to improve on last season's fourth-placed finish while also putting together a quality run in three cup competitions. Rotation will be pivotal.
Despite possessing a plethora of versatile attacking options, the club will struggle to make progress by limiting themselves when there's money to spend.
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