Manchester United to sanction star player's sale to accommodate Antoine Griezmann

What’s the story?

Wayne Rooney’s time at Manchester United is edging closer towards completion as the England international is set to become the high-profile exit from Old Trafford to accommodate the signing of Antoine Griezmann in the summer transfer window.

According to The Independent, the France international has a £100 million buyout clause in his contract at Atletico Madrid and the Red Devils are willing to match the Spanish capital club’s asking price.

Before Griezmann’s potential arrival in England, United are believed to have done ‘plenty of groundwork’. This could be done by allowing the sale of star players like Rooney, Anthony Martial and Marouane Fellaini at the end of the season.

In case you didn’t know...

Wayne Rooney was the main man at Manchester United following Cristiano Ronaldo’s exit from Old Trafford in the summer of 2009. The Englishman’s performances on the pitch, coupled with his marketability off the pitch was crucial for the Red Devils.

The forward will always be remembered for asking to leave his current employers on two occasions. The first instance came when he suggested that he wanted to make a switch to cross-town rivals, Manchester City. The second one came after Sir Alex Ferguson stepped down from his post at Old Trafford. On both occasions, Rooney’s wish was not granted and he agreed to new deals.

That allowed him to score his 250^th goal for Manchester United, which saw him break Sir Bobby Charlton’s record of 249 goals to become the club’s all-time leading goalscorer. In 2015, he broke Charlton’s England record of 49 goals to become the Three Lions’ all-time leading goalscorer.

The heart of the matter

Manchester United are no longer dependant on Rooney and his failure to start in the Premier League matches shows how the Red Devils have moved on from one of their legends. Jose Mourinho has started the 31-year-old in only eight league matches, with the majority of them coming at the start of the season.

Rooney and Martial’s future at Old Trafford beyond this season is uncertain and the former could be the “headline departure” in the summer. This could mean that Mourinho would bring in Griezmann, who has already proved his worth with his impressive display for Atletico Madrid and France.

What’s next?

Rooney could make a switch to China, where he has reportedly been offered a weekly wage of £1 million. Martial will have a lot of suitors, with French club, Paris Saint-Germain being one of his admirers.

Sportskeeda’s take

The Red Devils would be right to sell Rooney after the end of the season if they do bring in Antoine Griezmann. The English captain’s failure to perform regularly at a high level and also make an impact has raised questions over his future at Old Trafford. He is no longer the player that made him one of the Premier League’s greatest strikers.