Manchester United Transfer News: Latest Wayne Rooney and Antonio Rudiger Rumours

Manchester United captain Wayne Rooney is reportedly attracting serious interest from L.A. Galaxy as the Major League Soccer side faces losing Steven Gerrard. Meanwhile, the Red Devils are targeting AS Roma's Antonio Rudiger this winter.

The Sun's Neil Custis reported the Galaxy are considering Rooney as a potential replacement for Gerrard, who looks set to leave the club after his contract in California comes to an end in December.

United veteran Rooney has fallen out of manager Jose Mourinho's starting XI, and it recently came to light the Red Devils chief has informed his captain he'd need to leave the club for guaranteed minutes, per Ben Burrows and Neil Moxley of the Mirror.

The England international's decline has come earlier than expected considering Rooney's just 31, and football writer Liam Canning described his Old Trafford exit as inevitable:

Clubs in MLS are permitted three designated players each, and Gerrard will vacate one of those spots should he leave, with Robbie Keane and Giovani dos Santos accounting for the other two places.

Rooney's Premier League performance has dropped in the last few years, but the United stalwart has been considered a force to be reckoned with until only recently, as demonstrated by Bleacher Report UK:

Custis also mentioned clubs in China's Super League and Serie A's Inter Milan as being interested in Rooney, who could still have a lot to offer depending on the next move in his career.

Spain and Barcelona legend Xavi played against Rooney on several occasions and recently voiced his view it's too early for the United workhorse to leave for less competitive pastures just yet, telling Goal's Thomas Unsworth:

"

With all respect to MLS, China, and other leagues, Wayne Rooney is not ready for that yet. In two or three seasons maybe, but at his age it is not the time.

A player of his ability at his age needs to be playing in one of Europe's top leagues. 

I still think he has a lot to offer Manchester United but if either him or the club decide not to continue that relationship, I know he would offer something to all the top clubs in Europe.

"

Elsewhere, the Daily Mail's Sami Mokbel reported Rudiger is on the Red Devils' radar and that the Roma defender may be available to leave the Stadio Olimpico if the Italians were to receive an offer in excess of £35 million.

The Germany international only recently made his return to the Giallorossi squad after a period out with an anterior cruciate ligament injury, and he appeared content with making his comeback in Rome:

According to Mokbel, Chris Smalling, Daley Blind and Marcos Rojo will all be deemed surplus to requirements at Old Trafford, with summer signing Eric Bailly likely to be used as the foundation in a defensive revamp.

United's recent 4-0 thrashing at Chelsea exposed the kind of holes Mourinho no longer wishes to see in his back line, and a January move for Rudiger could provide the Portuguese with the reinforcements he's seeking.