Bobby Charlton urges transfer target Wayne Rooney to stay at Man United and beat his goal-scoring record
Bobby Charlton urges transfer target Wayne Rooney to stay at Man United and beat his goal-scoring record
"I don't like losing really good players and he is a really, really good player" says Reds legend of striker Chelsea are chasing
Countdown: How much closer will Rooney get to the United record?
Matthew Peters
Sir Bobby Charlton has urged Wayne Rooney to stay at Manchester United and rewrite history by breaking his goalscoring record, writes David McDonnell in Hong Kong and Martin Lipton.
Rooney is agitating for a move away from United, with Chelsea desperate to land the 27-year-old striker, who is entering his 10th season at Old Trafford.
But
United legend Charlton wants Rooney, currently on 197 goals for the
club, to stay put to give himself every chance of beating his 249-goal
milestone.
Chelsea are poised to make a second bid for Rooney,
after having an initial £23million offer rejected earlier this month,
but Charlton said the forward should stay where he is.
“Wayne
Rooney is a Manchester United player and I think that he will continue
to be a Manchester United player,” said Charlton, who was speaking
during a visit to the Laureus-supported Operation Breakthrough project.
“We’re
not silly enough to make any rash decisions. I don’t like losing really
good players and he’s a really, really good player.
“I was hoping
one day that he might score as many goals as I had and that would have
been really nice if it was at our club - and I’m still thinking that
way.”
Rooney, who is currently recovering from a hamstring injury in
Manchester while his United team-mates prepare for tonight’s final game
of their pre-season tour in Hong Kong, needs 53 more goals to overtake
Charlton.
Rooney’s future is likely to remain undecided for some
time, with Chelsea are ready to wait until his planned return in Sweden
at the weekend before even considering a second bid.
Blues chiefs
remain convinced that United’s ‘’not for sale’’ position over Rooney is
untenable and cannot last until the transfer window ends in exactly five
weeks.
Chelsea feel United’s decision to reveal their initial bid
two weeks ago was evidence that the Old Trafford outfit are looking to
sell, but the Stamford Bridge hierarchy will not be panicked into
showing their hand too early.
Chelsea believe the tipping point in the drawn-out battle to sign Rooney - who wants to join Jose Mourinho’s side - will come over the next 11 days.
United
have made a point of signposting Rooney’s proposed return to Old
Trafford colours in their friendly against AIK in Stockholm.
The striker is also due to play in Rio Ferdinand’s Testimonial against Sevilla at Old Trafford three days later.
But
Chelsea suspect the growing animosity among United fans towards Rooney
over his stance will surface at one or both of those games, making it
clear he cannot stay in Manchester.
Rooney has come under
increasing fire from United fans on social media, with accusations of
treachery despite the fact that the England man believes he is being
driven out of the club.
Should Chelsea’s suspicions be realised, that would be the trigger for their second bid, likely to be around £24m.
Realistically, Chelsea know United will not accept that offer either, but a third bid, nearer the £28m mark, would then follow.
The
Blues are reluctant to pay more than £30m for Rooney, who has just two
years left on his United deal, especially as it is clear the Scouser
wants to move to London.
Chelsea are still willing to wait until
the last week of the window - after their trip to Old Trafford for
Moyes’ first Premier League game as boss on August 26 - to get their
man.
At some stage, though, Rooney may have no option but to make
an official transfer request, to force through the deal. Should the
United fans turn on him, that will be an easier step for him to make.
BOZZA VS WAZZA
BOBBY CHARLTON
United debut: Aged 18
Man Utd: 1956-1973
758 appearances 249 goals. Goals per match: 0.33
England 1958-70 106 caps 49 goals Honours
World Cup: 1966
European Cup: 1968
First Division: 1957, 1965, 1967
FA Cup: 1963 WAYNE ROONEY
2004-present
United debut: Aged 18
402 appearances 197 goals. Goals per match 0.49
England 2003-present 83 caps 36 goals Honours
Champions League: 2008
Premier League 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2013
League Cup: 2006, 2010
FIFA Club World Cup: 2008
LEADING UNITED GOALSCORERS
249 Bobby Charlton
237 Denis Law
211 Jack Rowley
197 Wayne Rooney
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