Rumours have continued to spread about Manchester United nurturing the prospect of letting skipper, Wayne Rooney, go during the winter.
With the 31-year-old Englishman struggling to make any reasonable impact under Jose Mourinho this term, here are three reasons the Red Devils should consider selling him.
- He is past his best
Quite simply, Rooney doesn’t seem up to the job anymore. Mourinho and United fans are demanding a title tilt after three seasons of mediocrity. Rooney’s displays have done anything but lift United to the required standard over the last six months. It is only natural for his star to fade as the years advance. No wonder he’s only scored once this season.
- United could do with him off the wage bill
Rooney still has three years left on his £250,000-a-week deal. That is around £37M that United would fork out until 2019. Last month the Red Devils announced record income for 2016 after banking £515m – becoming the first club to break the half-a- billion barrier in a single year. But even a club of their financial clout could use some of that money to bring in the talent needed to mount a Premier League title challenge.
- He doesn’t fit into the team Mourinho is building
Rooney still seems best suited to playing as a No 10. Mourinho has historically favoured playing 4-2-3-1 and shows no signs of breaking the mould. Rooney has always been a willing wide man, but Mourinho demands pace and defensive responsibility on the flanks. He is too slow to keep up with Premier League fliers now and almost undid United’s hard work at Liverpool by twice getting caught out in the final five minutes when Jurgen Klopp’s team looked to attack him down United’s right in the clubs’ bore draw. The talk has always been that Rooney would drop into midfield later in his career. But pace and personnel are working against him.
