What’s the Story?
Tianjin Quanjian manager Fabio Cannavaro has confirmed that he held talks over a move for Manchester United superstar Wayne Rooney while stating that they were more interested in Dortmund’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Fiorentina’s Nikola Kalinic. He said,
“We did make an approach for Rooney, but it was just chit-chat because he simply doesn’t suit our style of play. No further discussion was necessary. The truth is we had more frequent contact with Aubameyang. Unfortunately, our bid was rejected by Borussia Dortmund who said he was needed in this season’s Champions League.Our prime target is still Kalinic but it’s quite difficult for his club to let him leave at the moment.”
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In case you didn’t know
The current captain of United, Rooney has struggled to get first team action all season, despite having impressed on the rare moments he has come on. He has been linked with a move away from Manchester for a while now, with reports emerging earlier this week that he had been offered a 900,000-a-week contract by an unnamed Chinese club. That club appears unlikely to be Tianjin Quanjin, considering how dismissive Cannavaro seemed of the suggestion that they were desperate for him.
The heart of the matter
Wayne Rooney’s issue had been handled rather delicately by Mourinho when the question was put to him earlier this week saying that he didn’t want to let him go, but also asking the journalists assembled as to how he could guarantee Rooney would be there or not next season, saying that it was completely in his captain’s hands. This leaves the ball entirely in Rooney’s court, as it were. The United man will now have to choose between fighting for a starting berth or taking the generous payday that the Chinese league is offering.
What next?
It will be interesting, though, to see if Rooney – or any of the aforementioned stars do make it to the Chinese Super League, considering their transfer window closes only on Tuesday (28th). All the CSL clubs are likely to make their final moves this week, and we will keep you up-to-date with the latest goings-on in the world’s most populous nation
Sportskeeda’s Take
Wayne Rooney’s choice is simple, and the easiest way would be to take the pay-day. Having now surpassed Sir Bobby Charlton’s record, his name is etched in indelible ink in United’s history. With little to prove, this may well be the smartest choice for the ‘Rooneys’. Aubameyang is an altogether different matter. The Gabonese has bucketloads to prove, and with clubs of the calibre of Real Madrid showing interest in him, it is unlikely that he will travel to the Far East anytime soon.
