Wayne Rooney to stay at Manchester United despite Chinese interest

LONDON, Feb 22: Wayne Rooney has offers to go to China but is unlikely to leave Manchester United before the Chinese transfer window closes on Tuesday, Sky sources understand.

Rooney’s advisers have been approached by several Chinese Super League (CSL) clubs who are willing to make him the world’s best-paid player, offering £750,000 a week.

The clubs include Chinese champions Guangzhou Evergrande, who are managed by Felipe Scolari, and Beijing Guoan, who finished fifth in the CSL last season.

On Tuesday, Jose Mourinho failed to guarantee Rooney would stay at Manchester United until the end of the season.

Rooney has 18 months left on his Manchester United contract, although the club have the option of extending it by another year.

Under Mourinho, Rooney has become a squad player at United and has not played since February 1 because of a muscle injury.

CSL clubs are allowed to have only three foreign players in their starting line-ups.

Three clubs still have a slot available for a foreign player – Tianjin Quanjian, Jiangsu Suning and Beijing Guoan – but other clubs could also sign Rooney and drop another one of their foreign players.

Rooney was a member of the United squad which travelled to China last July on a pre-season tour which was plagued with problems.

United were unable to train properly because of the intense heat and pollution in Shanghai and Beijing and their game against Manchester City was cancelled because of the poor state of the pitch at Beijing’s Birds Nest Stadium.SKY SPORTS