CHINA CALLING
Sven in massive £75m bid to lure Rooney to Asia
WAYNE ROONEY is being offered an eyewatering £75million deal to be reunited with Sven Goran Eriksson in China.
The Chinese Super League (CSL) want the Manchester United striker to become their poster boy and are ready to give the 30-year-old a three-year contract worth up to £25m per season.
Rooney’s likely destination — if he decided to leave Old Trafford — would be Shanghai SIPG, who are managed by former England boss Eriksson.
The package would include an image rights agreement that would see Rooney (below) cash in if he can help increase the CSL’s global profile.
The CSL, who are also interested in Chelsea skipper John Terry, want Rooney to join as soon as possible, although they are willing to wait, such is their determination to land him. Rooney has three years to run on his United deal but his advisers are already thinking about his future. The MLS are also keeping tabs on Rooney’s future as they look to secure another global superstar after landing Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard. The American lifestyle would be more attractive to
Rooney and his young family, but the MLS could not offer the sort of money available to the Chinese.
Rooney remains central to the plans of United but this summer could be a watershed in his career, and he has said he will make a decision about his future after Euro 2016.
Meanwhile, United’s players have cancelled their Christmas party in the wake of the club’s humiliating Champions League exit.
The squad were due to go out in Manchester on Sunday night, but decided to call it off after Tuesday’s defeat in Wolfsburg saw Louis van Gaal’s side crash out and drop into the Europa League.
Unlike Newcastle’s players, who have had a seasonal fancy dress getaway cancelled by club officials, at Old Trafford captain Rooney and the rest of the squad are said to have taken it on themselves to cancel the party because they did not want to be seen out celebrating at a difficult time for the club.
United’s problems continued to pile up last night after Bastian Schweinsteiger was hit with a threematch ban for violent conduct.
The Germany midfielder accepted an FA charge over an incident involving West Ham’s Winston Reid last weekend, meaning United will be without up to 10 players for tomorrow’s trip to Bournemouth.
Schweinsteiger, who was accused of thrusting his forearm into Reid’s throat as they tussled at a corner, will also miss the Premier League fixtures against Norwich and Stoke.
His absence is a major blow to Van Gaal who was already without seven players for the trip to Wolfsburg, and then saw Chris Smalling and Matteo Darmian added to the injured list.