The Busby Babe - Premier League clubs prepare imminent Rooney bidsWhere it's always squeaky bum timehttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/51377/tbb-fav.png2013-08-28T19:16:30+01:00http://thebusbybabe.sbnation.com/rss/stream/42485712013-08-28T19:16:30+01:002013-08-28T19:16:30+01:00Rooney to Chelsea seems dead after Blues get Eto'o
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<figcaption>Dmitry Korotayev</figcaption>
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<p>Wayne Rooney's transfer to Chelsea appears dead after the Blues tied up a deal for Anzhi Makhachkala's Samuel Eto'o, according to El Mundo Deportivo.</p> <p><span>Wayne Rooney</span> will not be leaving for <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://weaintgotnohistory.sbnation.com/">Chelsea</a> in this window, it seems, after the Blues tied up a deal for <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/fifa/players/110144/samuel-eto-o">Samuel Eto'o</a> from Anzhi Makhachkala, according to El Mundo Deportivo.</p>
<p>Rooney has been a target of Chelsea all summer, who have seen two bids for the England striker rejected, and now it seems that José Mourinho has given up on his pursuit by signing the Cameroonian legend from the Russian outfit.</p>
<p>Stories have still suggested that United are looking to get rid of Rooney, but only if they can do so abroad. Few clubs will be capable of meeting the forward's wages, but there have been rumours linking him to Real Madrid (unlikely if Gareth Bale's move to the Spanish capital goes ahead as expected) as well as Paris Saint-Germain.</p>
<p>The thinking all along has been that United are determined not to sell to their rivals in West London, although some reports had suggested that the club were prepared to do business with the Blues. That now appears dead, with Chelsea clearly deciding that Eto'o is a better option for them rather than paying whatever price it would take to get United to sell.</p>
https://thebusbybabe.sbnation.com/manchester-united-transfer-rumours-news/2013/8/28/4668466/manchester-united-tranfser-news-wayne-rooney-chelseaCallum Hamilton2013-08-21T23:14:02+01:002013-08-21T23:14:02+01:00United 'prepared to do business' with Chelsea
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<figcaption>Michael Steele</figcaption>
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<p>Manchester United are prepared to allow Wayne Rooney to leave for Chelsea if they can attract replacements of a suitable calibre, according to a report in the Daily Mirror.</p> <p><a href="https://thebusbybabe.sbnation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Manchester United</a> will allow <span>Wayne Rooney</span> to leave for <a href="https://weaintgotnohistory.sbnation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Chelsea</a> provided they can make some signings of their own, according to the Daily Mirror.</p>
<p>The paper states that Manchester United will allow Wayne Rooney to transfer to Chelsea should an acceptable price be met, but only on the condition that United can replace him.</p>
<p>By 'replacements', it's unlikely they mean a direct positional stand-in - United already have Robin van Persie, <span>Danny Welbeck</span>, and Javier Hernandez. Moyes' comments about liking strikers 'who score tap-ins in the six yard box' hopefully means that he's prepared to give Chicharito the game time he deserves.</p>
<p>So, we might be looking at the fabled 'marquee signing.' Things have gone worryingly quiet on that front, although intriguingly <span>Cesc Fabregas</span> was left out of the Barcelona lineup tonight, with several reliable reports backing up a story that United would wait and see if the player had missed any games. Other than that slim possibility, it's hard to see where else United are going to have any hope, unless any signing is going to come completely out of the blue.</p>
<p>The report also states that Rooney would need a new contract were he to say - which is obvious - and that United would decide whether it would be worth giving him a wage rise. They'd be insane to offer him another contract on the same wages, so that seems highly unlikely. And finally, it's bad news for <span>Shinji Kagawa</span> fans as the report claims we want another play to play just behind the striker. You'd think just behind the player that plays just behind the striker is the more obvious position we need, but the club is moving in very mysterious ways lately....</p>
https://thebusbybabe.sbnation.com/2013/8/21/4645458/manchester-united-transfer-news-wayne-rooney-chelseaCallum Hamilton2013-08-21T22:38:40+01:002013-08-21T22:38:40+01:00Mourinho speaks out on third Rooney bid
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<figcaption>Richard Heathcote</figcaption>
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<p>José Mourinho has spoken out on the prospect of Chelsea making a third bid for Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney, but insists it will not be put in before the two clubs play each other next Monday.</p> <p>José Mourinho has strongly suggested <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://weaintgotnohistory.sbnation.com/">Chelsea</a> will bid again for <span>Wayne Rooney</span>, but states that the club will not be making any bid before his side take on <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://thebusbybabe.sbnation.com/">Manchester United</a> on Monday.</p>
<p>Speaking after his side's narrow 2-1 victory over <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://7500toholte.sbnation.com/">Aston Villa</a>, Mourinho was asked about the United striker and said: "I don't want Chelsea to do it before we go there, from the ethical point of view."</p>
<p>'Ethical' is a word that Mourinho's used a lot throughout this transfer saga, and you can make of that what you will. It's still very possible that Rooney will be leaving United for Stamford Bridge, and although we may have heard 'he set up two goals!' in the wake of his performance at Swansea, that hardly tells the whole picture, as he plodded around moodily like he didn't want to be there, both of his 'assists' being basic in the extreme.</p>
<p>Let's be honest - I'm sure <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/fifa/players/149773/danny-graham">Danny Graham</a> would bang in quite a few goals if he was playing up front for United for a season. Rooney simply isn't offering value in excess of what could be gained by freeing up his wages and getting his transfer fee. How much of that will be reinvested is, of course, open to question, but let's hope United just cut their losses before the window's out. It's all gone mysteriously quiet otherwise - it looks like the last few days following that game against Chelsea could be pretty frantic.</p>
https://thebusbybabe.sbnation.com/manchester-united-transfer-rumours-news/2013/8/21/4645350/manchester-united-transfer-news-wayne-rooney-chelsea-jose-mourinhoCallum Hamilton2013-08-13T19:30:58+01:002013-08-13T19:30:58+01:00United won't sell Rooney at any price - report
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<figcaption>Alex Livesey</figcaption>
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<p>A report from the Guardian's Daniel Taylor states that Manchester United are determined to keep hold of Wayne Rooney and will not sell him to Chelsea at any price.</p> <p><a href="https://thebusbybabe.sbnation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Manchester United</a> will not sell <span>Wayne Rooney</span> to <a href="https://weaintgotnohistory.sbnation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Chelsea</a> at any price, according to a report from the Guardian's Daniel Taylor.</p>
<p>Rooney has been the subject of intense speculation this summer, and according to Taylor, a decision has been taken at the highest level within Old Trafford that they should not sell to Chelsea at any price, due to the perception of a power shift that would be caused.</p>
<p>The report claims that Manchester United will tell Rooney he is still a valued player and ask supporters to refrain from making their displeasure known when he turns out for the club, although the report is somewhat murky about the prospect of Rooney being sold elsewhere. The prospect of another club, perhaps from abroad, coming in for him is not mentioned, and it only states that Rooney will not be sold to Chelsea.</p>
<p>Since the sale of Rooney would raise a huge amount of funds in terms of wages freed up and a transfer fee, it's difficult to see the Glazers keeping hold of a player who is almost certain to not be worth the money. At the start of the season, Rooney looked certain to leave, and events since then have only strengthened that perception - the 'injuries', the falling-outs, the lack of public appearances, and the repeated stories in the press coming from Rooney's camp all add up to a player who is desperate to leave.</p>
<p>What will happen remains to be seen, but if United were to turn down a major move from abroad, they'd be pretty nuts. The prospect of bringing Rooney round to sign another contract seems highly unlikely when he could earn more elsewhere, and an additional year would see his value greatly diminished.</p>
https://thebusbybabe.sbnation.com/manchester-united-transfer-rumours-news/2013/8/13/4618294/manchester-untied-transfer-rumours-wayne-rooneyCallum Hamilton2013-08-05T14:37:25+01:002013-08-05T14:37:25+01:00Rooney absent from United squad for AIK friendly
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<figcaption>Friedemann Vogel</figcaption>
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<p>Wayne Rooney has withdrawn from Manchester United's travelling squad to Stockholm as they prepare to face AIK, with the club citing a shoulder injury.</p> <p><span>Wayne Rooney</span> will not travel with <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://thebusbybabe.sbnation.com/">Manchester United</a> to Stockholm for their next friendly against AIK as he has a shoulder injury, the club have confirmed.</p>
<p>United say that Rooney picked up the injury in the behind-closed-doors friendly played by United against Real Betis, which the Reds won 3-0. Speculation will be fervent that his absence will be related to persistent rumours linking him to a move away from the club, with a second rejected bid from <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://weaintgotnohistory.sbnation.com/">Chelsea</a> made earlier in the week confirmed by United this morning.</p>
<p>Rooney had also missed all of the club's other pre-season friendlies except the Betis one, thus avoiding exposure to any United fans. Stories have been circulating in the press about the player's fear about being booed by the players, and his latest conveniently-timed absence will only serve to fuel rumours that the England striker is indeed headed for the exit door at Old Trafford.</p>
https://thebusbybabe.sbnation.com/manchester-united-transfer-rumours-news/2013/8/5/4590226/manchester-united-transfer-rumours-news-wayne-rooneyCallum Hamilton2013-07-25T18:37:41+01:002013-07-25T18:37:41+01:00Mourinho: No second Rooney bid
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<p>Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho has told reporters that there has been no second bid for Manchester United's Wayne Rooney as Chelsea are "happy with what we have."</p> <p><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://weaintgotnohistory.sbnation.com/">Chelsea</a> manager <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/epl/teams/jose-mourinho">Jose Mourinho</a> rejected claims that a second bid had been made for <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://thebusbybabe.sbnation.com/">Manchester United</a> striker <span>Wayne Rooney</span> and said his club are "calm" over the transfer.</p>
<p>Reports had indicated the Blues made another attempt to sign Rooney, but Mourinho said: "That bid which was public and official and after that nothing else."</p>
<p>"We are calm, as we told you we are calm, because we are happy with what we have."</p>
<p>Whether this means that the club have given up on signing Rooney or whether they are biding their time is yet to be seen. There are suggestions that Manchester United will not entertain selling to Chelsea, but a report in yesterday's Daily Star stated that United would only sell Rooney after they had attracted a 'marquee signing' as his replacement - possibly <span>Cesc Fabregas</span>.</p>
<p>Unfortunately; it looks like this one could take a while to resolve. Interestingly, the two clubs play each other in the league a few days before the close of the transfer window, so United really could wait until the last minute on this one.</p>
https://thebusbybabe.sbnation.com/manchester-united-transfer-rumours-news/2013/7/25/4556790/manchester-united-transfer-rumours-wayne-rooneyCallum Hamilton2013-07-17T16:37:39+01:002013-07-17T16:37:39+01:00Mourinho: I want Rooney or no-one
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<figcaption>Richard Heathcote</figcaption>
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<p>Chelsea's Jose Mourinho says that Manchester United's Wayne Rooney is the only player he wants to sign in this transfer window.</p> <p>José Mourinho has now spoken out following <a href="https://weaintgotnohistory.sbnation.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Chelsea's</a> 1-0 re-season victory over Singha All-Stars about the <span>Wayne Rooney</span> situation, and he's not happy.</p>
<p>Mourinho stated: "Nothing is a secret anymore. Chelsea are interested in the player, Chelsea made an official bid. There is nothing more to say and nothing more to do."</p>
<p>When asked "Is it Rooney or bust?", Mourinho replied "Yes", and confirmed that Rooney is the only transfer Chelsea are seeking at this moment.</p>
<p>This makes United's apparent reluctance to sell to Chelsea all the more difficult. It was easier to do when we had the impression they were just putting out feelers to see if he was available, but a more determined pursuit may be difficult to shrug off. No other suitors have made formal bids for Rooney just yet, although that could well change over the next few days. Stay tuned for developments when we get them...</p>
https://thebusbybabe.sbnation.com/manchester-united-transfer-rumours-news/2013/7/17/4531752/manchester-united-transfer-rumours-chelsea-wayne-rooneyCallum Hamilton2013-07-17T13:04:55+01:002013-07-17T13:04:55+01:00Chelsea confirm bid, say it was cash only
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<figcaption>Clive Brunskill</figcaption>
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<p>Chelsea have confirmed that they made a bid for Manchester United's Wayne Rooney, but state that no player was offered as part of the deal.</p> <p>Chelsea have confirmed that a bid was made for <span>Wayne Rooney</span> in the wake of his reported unsettlement at <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://thebusbybabe.sbnation.com/">Manchester United</a>, but claim that reports of <span>David Luiz</span> or <span>Juan Mata</span> being offered in the deal are wide of the mark.</p>
<p>Via the Independent's Sam Wallace:</p>
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<p>Chelsea: 'The terms of [Rooney] offer are confidential but for avoidance of doubt ... didn't include transfer or loan of any CFC players'</p>
— Sam Wallace (@SamWallaceIndy) <a href="https://twitter.com/SamWallaceIndy/statuses/357469117755834368">July 17, 2013</a>
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<p>This is all very strange. As we said about the initial bid, United would certainly have briefed it, whether it was true or false, and now Chelsea have denied it... but not denied making a bid for Rooney. There's some cloak-and-dagger stuff at work here, and United may have an ulterior motive in unsettling <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://weaintgotnohistory.sbnation.com/">Chelsea's</a> players, but there's also the point to be made that Chelsea are probably bound to refute any talk of offering players and unsettling them themselves.</p>
<p>This one looks like it's going to have a lot of twists in the tale. Latest developments when we get them.</p>
https://thebusbybabe.sbnation.com/manchester-united-transfer-rumours-news/2013/7/17/4531192/chelsea-transfer-rumours-manchester-united-rooney-bidCallum Hamilton