LONDON (AP) - Manchester United insists Wayne Rooney will not be sold in January, but speculation persists that England’s star striker is on his way out after a dispute with manager Alex Ferguson.
British newspapers reported Monday that Rooney has told the club he will not sign a new contract. United is attempting to play down the furor concerning its most important player.
Rooney reportedly has fallen out with Ferguson since allegations surfaced about the player’s private life last month. Rooney contradicted Ferguson in public Tuesday when he said he hadn’t been kept from games because of an ankle injury.
Rooney joined United from Everton in 2004 for more than $40 million. He has a contract with United until June 2012, after which he could leave on a free transfer.
The Sun and The Times suggest that Real Madrid would be favorite to sign the 24-year-old Rooney, just over a year after the Spanish powerhouse finally succeeded in taking Cristiano Ronaldo against United’s wishes.
But several other papers point out that Rooney, who has previously declared a lack of interest in playing overseas, could be forced into a highly divisive move to Manchester City.
United’s bitter local rival has spent more than $477 million on players over the past two years and _ backed by the billions of owner Sheikh Mansour _ is probably the only English club to have the financial resources to sign Rooney.
Rooney’s other option would appear to be a move to Spain with Madrid or Barcelona, the latter of which is _ like Rooney _ sponsored by Nike.
But Rooney has shown little interest in expanding his cultural horizons and high-profile British players have struggled to adapt to life overseas in the past.
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