Jose Mourinho is a big fan of Wayne Rooney and tried to sign him at Chelsea and reportedly even at Real Madrid. But now with Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Marcos Rashford being his first choice options for leading the attack, Wayne Rooney has lost his place in the starting line-up. Pogba and Fellaini are preferred over him in the midfield and due to that, he has been forced to be on the bench.
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Rooney's best position is as a striker but in recent times, he's been playing as a Central Attacking Midfielder and also a deep lying midfielder. Wayne Rooney's time at Manchester United is coming to an end sooner rather than later by the looks of things at the club right now. Jose Mourinho and the fans have lost their faith in the English striker and that's something nobody expected.
Also read: Wayne Rooney - Road to Perdition
Rooney has been linked with a move away and we take a look at the 5 realistic places he can move to:
#1 Paris Saint-Germain
In simple terms, the Ligue 1 club is looking for a striker and Rooney is looking for a club where he can play as a striker. Join the dots and you have it.
PSG have Edinson Cavani as their first choice striker right now and he's ever so inconsistent. He'll have the occasional good run and then disappear for a really long time. Adding to this, he misses easy chances more often than not and also gets a tad bit selfish in situations where his teammates are free in front of the goal.
Unai Emery is not happy with this and is looking to sign a striker as soon as possible. Wayne Rooney's wage demands won't be an issue for the Ligue 1 giants as they are known for their heavy spending habits under their multi-billionaire owner. Rooney would also enjoy this move as he'll get to move back to his favorite position and get back his goal-scoring form.
#2 Inter Milan
Wayne Rooney is said to be a top target for Inter Milan right now and it's a move that would suit both parties. Rooney would get a break from English football and Nerazzurri will get an experienced striker in their squad.
Inter Milan currently have Mauro Icardi as their main striker and club captain but with tension going on between him and the club fans, it's very difficult to see him stay at the club beyond this season. The Argentine has been linked with a move away from the club for the above reason and Rooney can be a brilliant replacement for him.
Rooney's got the experience and the qualities of a proper striker. Inter Milan really need that right now and getting the Englishman would do them wonders. The only competition for Wayne Rooney will have for his position (if Icardi leaves) is Stevan Jovetic and the former Manchester City man is nowhere close to the form he had while at Fiorentina.
First team football would be basically guaranteed to Rooney if he moves to Inter but the wages might be an issue for the move to happen. Rooney is currently on a £300,000 per week payroll at Manchester United and the Serie A side might not be in a position to match it.
#3 Chinese Super League
Wayne Rooney is someone ALL the Chinese Super League clubs would love to sign. It not only gives them a good first choice striker in the squad but it also gives them much-needed publicity and puts them on the map.
Former England manager, Sven-Göran Eriksson is currently managing Shanghai SIPG in the Chinese Super League and he would be the first one to make a move for the Manchester United star if Rooney is open to a move to China.
There are several star players in the Chinese Super League but if Wayne Rooney moves there, he would be the biggest name ever to have signed for a Chinese club. Didier Drogba shocked the world with a move to China to join up with his former teammate Anelka but several stars like Ramires, Hulk, Pelle, and Demba Ba have mode there since.
Wayne Rooney's wage demands won't be a problem for the Chinese clubs as they have offered Graziano Pelle £350,000 perweek and it's reported that Zlatan Ibrahimovic was offered a massive £700,000 per week contract before he made a move to Manchester United.
#4 MLS
Major League Soccer is no longer a place where players nearing their retirement move. It's becoming more and more competitive and the popularity of the league is increasing day-by-day in the United States and other countries.
Wayne Rooney's move to any of the MLS clubs would add a lot more viewers to the competition and make it more 'attractive.' Right now, only players who cross the age of 30 are moving to the MLS and that's a massive cut in the age cap when compared to the players who moved to America a good 5-6 years ago.
Rooney would just walk into the starting XI of New York City FC, LA Galaxy, and New York Red Bulls. Rooney won't be the only top Englishman to be playing there if he moves as Lampard and Gerrard are already playing there.
#5 Everton
A return to his boyhood club would be the best for the Englishman. It would be like one of those fairytale stories where the player has achieved all in his career and then comes back to help his boyhood club.
Earlier this year, Wayne Rooney said, "Manchester United and Everton are the only clubs I have played for as a professional footballer. I am happy to say now that, whatever may happen in the future, I will never play for another Premier League club."
So, if Rooney wants to remain in the Premier League, moving back to Everton would be his only choice. Ronald Koeman would welcome him back with both hands especially with the interest from other clubs in Romelu Lukaku increasing after every match.
The Belgian is attracting interest from several clubs around Europe with PSG and Bayern Munich said to be the latest ones interested in signing him. Rooney could be a great replacement for him and also make it a romantic ending for Wayne Rooney's career, at least in the Premier League.
(Video courtesy: WeSpeakFootball’s YouTube channel)
