Transfer Rumours 2013/14

“I think he’s got a major role to play because we need to try and get as many goals as we possibly can. I think Wayne can play up-top he can play dropped in. Overall my thought on Wayne is he’ll be key. If for any reason we had an injury to Robin. Robin, we are going to need him. I want to be able to play the two of them, I want to be able to use Danny Welbeck, Chicarito as well. The first year I think I have to get a chance to see (all the players) and how best to use them. It’s a chance for me to get Wayne right back to where he was. That’s the challenge and a challenge I want to take on. I’ve also got to make sure it’s not just him and we don’t concentrate on him. Manchester United isn’t about Wayne Rooney.”

I understand that's when his contract expires. I was more inclining the point of who would want Rooney in 2 years time if he's been left to rot? Chelsea sure as hell wouldn't (I'd hope).

£20-25 million isn't cheap. He's certainly not worth £30m+ in the current climate, put it that way. Not off the back of an average season, doubts over fitness, and in a years time could be signed even cheaper with only 12 months remaining on his contract. Add in the public fact he wants out, United don't really have a lot of leverage in this instance as they might think. Sure, United can keep him. Which they can afford to do financially. But that can cause some serious disruption within the squad and would most likely mean they'd receive even less later on for him. Rooney's place in Rio will be safe, irrespective if he plays much or not. He's lucky that England lack any sort of real depth and quality up front, so I can't see him being left behind.

Rooney isn't lowly rated, he's certainly a quality player when he's fit and firing, no doubt. The issue is that 2 of his past 3 seasons he's under performed. I'd like to think Chelsea would recognise the situation on hand and not offer anything more than around £25-£27 million to secure him. If United don't bite, so be it. Another 12 months time more options might be available beyond Rooney, and he'll be cheaper once again this time next year.

It will simply come down to if United and Moyes are willing to hold onto a player who doesn't want to remain and are prepared to handle any potential fallout that can possible arise from that.

Are City planning on getting Negredo instead of Jovetic, or do they want both?

Both. Depending on how you look at it, Jovetic is either Tevez' replacement or the alternative to Isco. Negredo's replacing Balotelli.

Yeah Rooney is massive commercial wise. Think I read that he sells the 3rd most shirts/merchandise in the world after Messi and Ronaldo which would be an absolute fortune, plus all the image rights etc that come with it. He's still the 'star' of Man Utd in that sense so by selling cheap they'd be taking a massive hit in revenue.

PSG will bid Messi's release clause if Barca bid Thiago Silva's release clause

Make it happen

Then Messi will have no reason to move but Thiago will.

But Rooney is massive because he is Man United's highest profile player. Fanboys who support Man Utd want his name for that reason. The top player from Man Utd will, for the foreseeable future, sell a fuckton of shirts. If Utd buy Bale then Bale will easily sell those sorts of figures.

Yeah which is why I'm saying Utd wouldn't sell him for so cheap as they will need a price big enough in which they could sign 'star' that could replace Rooney commercial wise such as Bale. Wouldn't make sense to sell Rooney for £20m to buy Bale for £60m from a £££ standpoint.

Wenger came out the other day and said Fabregas is staying 1 more year at least and basically confirmed that Arsenal had that first refusal clause.

I honestly can't see Fabregas picking Utd over Arsenal if he was to leave Barca

That's not quite what he said, but the jist is there.

I think what makes his comments interesting is that his 'give it a year' comments are basically the first public mention that Fabregas isn't that happy at Barca.

Also seems to indicate that Arsenal aren't going to do anything about it this year.

Surely Arsenal can't afford to spend ~£30M on Fabregas and +£30M on a striker?

The assumption in some papers is that Barca need the money to bring in Thiago Silva/any CB after spending so much on Neymar.

I'd say the 'give it a year' is because Fabregas wants to see how much game time he's gonna get now that Thiago is gone and Xavi is on the way out.

If Fabregas says he wants to leave then Arsenal will be right on that

Fabregas behind the strikers could inject new life into Giroud + Walcott, so a striker might not be needed

I absolutely hate it when people make sweeping statements like this, you have absolutely no guarantee of that. I don't think we will get Fabregas or that he will even leave Barca but when people say things as if they are a certainty and as if they are an inside man on a transfer almost no one knows anything about it does my head in.

I took that out after reading my post once I posted it for the same reason