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Transfer Rumours

The Real deal?

Zemanta Related Posts ThumbnailAfter a day of bizarre speculation which saw Reds across the world debate over the wisdom of a possible offer for Juan Mata, United and a major force in Spanish football are linked yet again.

However, today United are the part set to receive an offer, rather than the one submitting it, as Real Madrid are reportedly set to present an offer for Wayne Rooney this summer, having decided that the United number 10 is an infinitely easier target to secure than Sergio Aguero.

Aguero has been on Madrid’s radar for a while now, but City have no intention to sell one of their main assets (losing Aguero might lead to them scoring less than four goals a game, you know) not to mention that the Argentine has recently extended his contract with City until 2017.

Likewise, neither Luis Suarez nor Radamel Falcao, two of Real’s other targets, look easily attainable, given that the first has signed a new four-year deal at Liverpool (expect Scouse imploding all over Merseyside, were he to demand a move if Liverpool fail to finish in the top 4), while Falcao is too expensive even for Florentino Perez’s pockets.

And so, to Rooney who, according to the Telegraph, has emerged as Real Madrid’s main target given that he’s a) available for around £25m – half the amount that would be required to sign Falcao, for example – b) out of contract in 18 months and, crucially, c) playing for a team seemingly in decline and, as things stand, unable to guarantee him a bright future.

Rooney is widely expected to assess his options this summer, particularly if United fail to qualify for the Champions League – which is an increasingly realistic possibility – and even though Chelsea are though to be ready to submit another offer for the striker at the end of the season, Real Madrid might want to have a say in the matter.

United, in typically misjudged fashion, have made clear that they are happy to let Rooney run down his contract, thus allowing him to leave for free in 2015, rather than accept an offer for the striker as he enters the last 18 months of his current deal.

While United’s stance of not wanting to sell to a direct rival is admirable, choosing to allow Rooney to let his deal expire before leaving for free would be suicidal and not only because United would deprive themselves of a decent transfer fee, but because it’d mean that next season United could be pinning their hopes on a player whose future is already been sealed.