Transfer News/Updates: 19 August – Wayne Rooney NOT going?

Headline grabbing will be Wayne Rooney. Elsewhere Luiz Suarez had reported back to training and so too - Gareth Bale, both with their future at their respective clubs still uncertain. Meanwhile Manchester United has been linked with various players over the wweeks with the transfer window coming to a close.

With an appearance over the weekend in the match against Swansea, Wayne Rooney did nothing to quell the continuous saga over his intention to quit Old Trafford. His body language, his glum looking face, all pointing to an unhappy player wanting to leave. However it appears that that will not be easy for Rooney to leave with Manchester United not willing to sell – especially to a rival club. As a football player, playing time will be important and Rooney has a lot to think about for the next few weeks.

 

Elsewhere, there has been links to Real Madrid’s players – namely Mesut Ozil and Kaka. Earlier links had been targeted at Luka Modric. They are all players in the playmakers role, something Manchester United has been eyeing all summer. Ozil was reportedly to cost around £40 million. Kaka would go for considerably lesser than Ozil while Modric would be around the region of £30 plus million.

 

Mesut Ozil has been the mainstay of Real Madrid attacking play. Formerly a target of Manchester United during Sir Alex Ferguson’s time, it is hard to imagine Carlo Ancelotti willing to let him go – he is establish and relatively young. Kaka meanwhile would be the perfect marquee signing for David Moyes, except that this is not the Kaka that makes United’s fans wish list these days. The Kaka that makes the list is the one several years ago before his big move to Real Madrid, the one that terrorized Patrice Evra and Gabriel Heinze (the unlikely central defense pairing in a injury-hit Manchester United’s team against AC Milan). This Kaka has past his prime and has been one of the biggest flops for Florentino Perez. While there may still be a glimmer of hope for a world class performance from him, the risks are way too high. It is also up to Kaka whether he is willing to re-establish himself at another big club, and at the same willing to play the role of being a squad player. At most his signing (if it materializes) would be seen as a commercial signing as well as a ‘desperation’ signing for certain sections of Manchester United fans.

 

Luka Modric then would be ideal target for Manchester United. With Mesut Ozil and new signing Isco ahead of him in the playmaker role, and with competitions from players like Kaka and possibly new signing in Gareth Bale, this is the perfect time to entice him. Having the Premier League experience is another added advantage for having Modric at Old Trafford. Modric will also fancies a United move instead of move back to White Hart Lane due to the opportunity to plays in Champions League.

 

It is unlikely that Real Madrid would be willing to ship out two high quality playmakers in Kaka or Modric. At best it is just one and let that be Luka Modric but if it is Kaka then he should comes – cheap!