Manchester United Transfer News: Latest on Wayne Rooney, Charlie Austin Rumours

Wayne Rooney could be following in the footsteps of former England team-mates Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard and David Beckham by heading to the United States to feature in the MLS—but not until the end of his contract with Manchester United.

According to Samuel Luckhurst of the Manchester Evening News, MLS commissioner Don Garber said:

"

He's under contract at Man U. I'm personally very friendly with the Glazers, I know them well. To even be talking about it while he's under contract I guess speaks to the way we operate. We don't do that. We wouldn't do it.

We would love players like Wayne Rooney, and those who have been able to be really successful at the highest level, to be thinking about Major League Soccer. Today, that's perhaps in their-30s and maybe, sometime in the future, that's in their mid-20s.

"

The England captain is currently under contract for four more years at Old Trafford, and at 33, he would be somewhat younger than Lampard and Gerrard are now but older than Beckham when he made the switch.

According to the Seattle Times' Matt Pentz (h/t Luckhurst), Rooney admitted earlier in the summer that he would consider a move: "I'm obviously concentrating on Manchester United. When that time comes, [the MLS will] be something that I'd think about. [I'll] sit down with my wife and children and decide if it would be right for me."

Rooney's capture would help continue to increase the profile of the MLS, which has also seen stars such as Andrea Pirlo, David Villa and Kaka make the move in recent years.

The news that Rooney intends to see out his contract with the Red Devils will likely come as a relief to United fans. The 29-year-old is currently undergoing a significant Premier League goal drought, per Squawka Football:

However, Rooney has also scored a hat-trick in the UEFA Champions League qualifier against Club Brugge and has now become England's all-time leading scorer after tucking away two penalties against San Marino and Switzerland.

Further, Rooney is just 16 goals short of Bobby Charlton's record as United's leading scorer.

The Red Devils are light on forward options this season, having allowed so many to depart over the summer, so Rooney's return to domestic goalscoring form will be crucial to United's success this season as well as in future years—even after more recruitment has been done.

Nevertheless, United fans will be worried they have few goals in their team beyond Rooney. 

New signing Anthony Martial has tremendous potential, but unless he can hit the ground running in United's first team, they lack firepower up front, per football writer Liam Canning:

"

RvP, Di María, Falcao, Hernández and now Januzaj all gone from United this summer. Martial in, but feel they need one more attacker.

— Liam (@OffsideLiam) August 31, 2015"

One forward they were linked with over the summer was Queens Park Rangers front man Charlie Austin, who was reportedly available for £15 million. According to talkSPORT, however, Austin told The Sports Bar, "No. That was never on the cards. Not from what I'm aware of."

Matt Dunham/Associated Press

The Englishman was the sole highlight in an otherwise dismal season for QPR, as he scored 18 goals and assisted on seven. The 26-year-old has continued his prolific form into the new campaign, albeit in the Championship, bagging four goals and an assist in five appearances.

Comparatively a bargain next to Martial's £36 million price tag—which could rise to £57.6 million, according to the Sun's Antony Kastrinakis (h/t Sky Sports)—Austin may not be the kind of marquee name United fans would want their club to buy, but he could have been a useful player for them this season given their failure to land anyone else beyond the Frenchman.

Nevertheless, Austin will remain at Loftus Road until at least January, when it's quite likely a Premier League team struggling for goals will take a punt on him.

That club isn't likely to be United, however, despite the strong possibility that they will be once again desperate for a proven goalscorer.