Wayne Rooney’s £70m Manchester United deal is being held up by ongoing negotiations over his image rights, although the club remain convinced the striker will sign a new four and a-half year contract in the next week.
While the football part of the deal – which is worth around £300,000 a-week and is likely to include becoming the club’s new captain – has been agreed, the off-field payments and incentives built into the terms are yet to be agreed by United and the Rooney camp.
Although there remains a confidence that David Moyes will be handed the major boost of the striker effectively committing the peak years of his career to the club, the talks could continue into the weekend and beyond before Rooney does finally sign.
Ed Woodward, the executive vice-chairman, who is leading negotiations for United is currently on holiday but this is not a factor in the length of the negotiations as he is continuing to work on the deal while away.
If Rooney does sign it will represent a major coup for Woodward and Moyes after the Liverpudlian had determined at the end of last season that he wanted to leave for Chelsea after falling out of favour with Moyes’s predecessor, Sir Alex Ferguson.
Last term Ferguson constantly referred to what he viewed as Rooney’s lack of fitness and the need for him to have regular game-time to be an effective force. It was viewed as an odd comment regarding Rooney, who at 27-years-old should have been enjoying his best years and who was in no doubt himself he was in prime condition. Ferguson also continually played Rooney out of position in midfield, which frustrated him, and he was dropped for key matches, including the Champions League last-16 meeting with Real Madrid at Old Trafford last March.
Ferguson made the task of Moyes and Woodward, who had just replaced David Gill as United’s more powerful executive, of persuading Rooney his long-term future remained at the club even more difficult by claiming the forward had formally asked for a transfer.
After dropping him in what was Ferguson’s final home game as manager, the 2-1 win over Swansea City on 12 May, the Scot said: “I don’t think Wayne was keen to play simply because he has asked for a transfer and I think Rooney wants to think it through in his mind and I think that’s a good idea. We’re not going to let him go and I think maybe he’s a little bit frustrated after being taken off once or twice in the last few weeks.”
Yet this was denied by the Rooney camp, with it being stated that the striker had met with Ferguson only for informal discussions to understand how his long-term future was viewed. Privately, the club accept that Rooney never handed in a formal written transfer request.
That meeting between Rooney and Ferguson came before the latter announced he would leave as United manager. Once Moyes arrived as Ferguson’s replacement he began, along with Woodward, to persuade Rooney that his new United side would be built around him.
With Rooney wanting to see how the season would unfold under Moyes the club were willing to wait until after this summer’s World Cup to begin any talks over fresh terms.
Once Rooney indicated he was happy under the new manager, enjoying his football and willing to enter discussions about a new deal, the talks were brought forward.
Written by Steve Milne @stevenmilnelive
