By Rob Hart.
Real Madrid are preparing a record breaking £95 million bid for Manchester United and England ace Wayne Rooney, a year after they purchased Cristiano Ronaldo from United for a world record fee of £80 million.
Rooney is thought to be Jose Mourinho’s number one transfer target as the Bernebeu club look to bring in a new set of galacticos this summer in a bid to challenge for major titles next season. Mourinho is hoping that the long term financial difficulties at Old Trafford would force them to accept a huge offer from Real, but Sir Alex Ferguson would obviously be reluctant to let their most prized asset move on whatever the price.
Rooney is a key player for both club and country and will be leading the line for England at the World Cup later this month. The Liverpool born striker has had excellent season netting 34 times in 42 starts for Manchester United. Despite Rooney’s efforts, the Old Trafford club lost their three year stranglehold on the Premier League after Chelsea won the title and united fans would regard the sale of Rooney as unthinkable as next season they will strive to win back the title they believe to be theirs.
This is not the first time the two European giants have locked horns in a summer transfer embargo, as mentioned previously it was only a year ago that Cristiano Ronaldo signed for Real Madrid for a fee of £80 million, and then before Ronaldo it was David Beckham who made the switch from Manchester to Madrid in 2003. Relations between the two clubs have been clearly strained for a very long time and Ferguson is not a fan of the way the Spanish club operate in the transfer market, Ferguson has been reported in the past as saying that he wouldn’t sell Real Madrid a virus, however a few months after this statement Ronaldo singed for Madrid.
Will United’s worsening financial situation force them to sell their most prized asset to Madrid yet again?
