The uncertainty surrounding Wayne Rooney’s future at Old Trafford looks set to continue after the striker returned home early from Manchester United’s tour of Asia after suffering a hamstring injury. After a summer of talk in the football betting news linking Rooney with a move away from the club, this latest development hasn’t helped quell any speculation.
While the club released a statement revealing Rooney had picked up an injury and would now return to England for treatment, it hasn’t stopped the rumour mill from all but exploding over talk linking the 27-year old with a move to Chelsea.
A statement on United’s official website read: “Following a scan this evening on a hamstring injury sustained in training, it has been decided that Wayne Rooney should return home immediately for further assessment and rehabilitation.
“It is anticipated he will be unavailable for selection for a month.”
Jose Mourinho has been surprisingly quiet on his transfer targets since his return to Chelsea, but the Portuguese coach has long been a fan of Rooney and could make the England international his main target between now and the end of August.
New manager David Moyes used his first press conference since succeeding Sir Alex Ferguson to insist Rooney was not for sale but didn’t go as far as completely ruling out the prospect of losing the England star before the end of the transfer window. Rooney still has two years to run on his current deal at the club but could still push for a move if Chelsea did indeed come calling.
If Rooney did move to Chelsea – and that is a big if – it would seemingly end Fernando Torres’s time at Stamford Bridge. The Spanish striker is coming off the back of an impressive Confederations Cup campaign, but it remains to be seen whether that will have been enough to convince Mourinho that he is going to be the manager’s main striker this season.
One thing is for sure: the remainder of this transfer window promises to produce more than its fair share of shocks and surprise moves by those clubs challenging for next season’s Premier League crown.
