Manchester United
have taken the top-level decision that Wayne Rooney will not be
sold to Chelsea no matter how much
money is offered or whatever the potential risks of keeping an unhappy player.
Their stance is irreversible and will represent a significant setback for José Mourinho, who had
been under the impression a deal to take him to Stamford Bridge was only a
matter of time.
Chelsea have already failed with two bids, offering £23m on 16 July and £25m on 4
August, and had been convinced United would eventually cave in
rather than keep
a player whose relationship with the club had deteriorated so badly.
On the contrary, the Glazer family is absolutely
determined there will be a show of force at Old Trafford this summer and that
means automatically rejecting any further Chelsea bid out of principle. United
believe it would be weak in the extreme to bend to player power, no matter how
messy it threatens to become before the end of the transfer window, and their
position will not change if Rooney hands in a formal transfer request or goes
public with his desire to leave. The forward, who is in contention to lead England's attack against Scotland at Wembley
on Wednesday, will be told United still cherish him as a player and that he
needs to think long and hard about clearing his mind and rediscovering his best
form in a World Cup year.
Over the next couple of weeks there will be a
public request from David Moyes that United's supporters recognise his
contribution to the club over the last nine years and refrain from making their
displeasure known when he returns to the team. Rooney's determination to move
to Stamford Bridge, having handed in a transfer request in October 2010 amid
strong interest behind the scenes from Manchester City, has turned many fans
against him. The hope at Old Trafford is that it will eventually blow over and
that Rooney will come to realise his falling out with Sir Alex Ferguson should
have no bearing now.
It represents a calculated gamble on United's
part, with the club acutely aware Rooney no longer wants to be at Old Trafford
and that Moyes will have his work cut out to get him back to his best.
However, the Guardian has learned there has never
been a point over the summer when United have placed a valuation on him – or
even talked about it. Chelsea's bids have been considered derisory behind the
scenes at Old Trafford but that is largely irrelevant compared to the bigger
point that it is not a financial matter, but more a case of protecting the
team, supporting Moyes and ensuring there is no damage to the club's status.
Chelsea's £50m signing of Fernando Torres from Liverpool was widely seen
throughout the game as a shift in dynamic between the two clubs. United are adamant
they will not put themselves in the same position.
Their thinking is also driven by a recognition
that Rooney belongs to a rare group of match-winning players and that, at 27,
selling him to Chelsea would mean passing on a forward capable of scoring 20 to
30 goals a season for the next five years. United, in short, are in complete
agreement with Gary Neville's view that they "would be mad to sell
him".
That falls in line with a promise made to Moyes
when he took over from Ferguson that United would keep together the squad that
won the league last season. United, for example, have rejected several bids for
Nani and the only player they are willing to move out is Bébé.
Over time, United hope Rooney will start enjoying
being a United player again and recognise this is a team where he can still
achieve his ambitions. Moyes remains keen to bring in Marouane Fellaini and Leighton Baines from
Everton and the club are looking at other options in midfield.
Moyes would ideally like two central midfielders
but shied away from a deal for Thiago Alcântara because he was not entirely
convinced by a player Bayern Munich subsequently signed from Barcelona. United have
been frustrated by Barcelona's reluctance to part company with Cesc Fábregas but
their information throughout several weeks of negotiations is that he is
extremely anxious about how much he will play this season and would jump at the
chance to move to Old Trafford, despite his statements to the contrary, if the
Catalan club told him he was not required. United are retaining their interest,
even if there is now an acceptance there is a low probability of it coming off.
Rooney, meanwhile, will have plenty to think
about when he returns to United from international duty. The team begin the new
Premier League season at Swansea City on Saturday followed by Chelsea visiting
Old Trafford on 26 August and a match littered with off-pitch politics. No deal
was ever likely before that game and Chelsea will discover in the coming weeks
that United are not willing to bargain, at any price, after that date either.
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