With speculation mounting over the England striker’s imminent Old Trafford departure, Al Hain-Cole thinks that there is value to be had in backing him to end up at the Bernabeu
Ever since Alex Ferguson left him on the bench for Manchester United’s Champions League clash against Real Madrid in March, the rumour mill has been awash with talk of Wayne Rooney leaving Old Trafford in the summer.
This speculation recently intensified when a former advisor to Paris Saint Germain confidently assured French television that a deal was already in place to bring the England international to the Parc des Princes when the transfer window opens, prompting Paddy Power to cut the odds to just 5/6 (1.83) on him joining Carlo Ancelotti’s star-studded side.
Thanks to their Qatari owners, PSG would be able to put together a financial package that few of Rooney’s other suitors could contend with, although they are not the only big spenders out there.
Manchester City’s own Middle Eastern benefactors could well be persuaded to get their cheque books out for a transfer that would send shockwaves throughout the Premier League, and they are surprising second favourites at 7/1 (8.00) to entice the striker to switch allegiances to the blue half of Manchester, following former United frontman Carlos Tevez.
If he really does not fancy the challenge of wrapping his head around a foreign language and culture then a lucrative move to Chelsea is another option for the 26-year-old, available at 10/1 (11.00).
The boyhood Everton fan famously proclaimed that he was ’Once a Blue, always a Blue’ before defecting to Manchester, but a move back to Goodison Park does not seem financially viable, so is perhaps best avoided at 14/1 (15.00).
Bayern Munich are bound to give new boss Pep Guardiola a healthy budget in order to stamp his mark on the side, but having already announced the arrival of Mario Gotze, the German champions seem like a long shot at 10/1 (11.00).
Italian football has lost a great deal of its lustre in recent years, so moves to AC Milan 14/1 (15.00), Inter 22/1 (23.00) or Juventus 20/1 (21.00) seem unlikely.
On the other hand, few players could turn down a move to Real Madrid 14/1 (15.00) or Barcelona 20/1 (21.00), and los Merengues’ widely publicised need for a new striker makes them a potentially lucrative punt, with their rivals focused on signing Brazilian sensation Neymar.
The Spanish champions have a track record of signing big name English talent such as Michael Owen, Jonathan Woodgate and David Beckham, while the latter has since been followed by Gabriel Heinze and Cristiano Ronaldo in exchanging Old Trafford for the Santiago Bernabeu, so it should be no surprise if negotiations are opened between the two clubs yet again.
While his bank balance would benefit from moves to LA Galaxy 16/1 (17.00) or Anzhi Makhachkala 20/1 (21.00), Rooney’s career would surely suffer from the step down in quality of football, so neither club seem like realistic contenders.
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Al Hain-Cole is a Liverpool fan, experienced tipster and avid follower of European football. He specialises in accumulators and if you would like to read more from Al you can follow him on Twitter here.
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