Arsenal Prepare Late Rooney Bid After Chelsea Dealt Decisive Blow

As we enter the final stages of the summer transfer window, there is plenty of gossip doing the rounds in the newspapers so we’ll keep you up-to-date with the latest transfer rumours. Today, more on the future of Wayne Rooney.

Arsenal are ready to make a late move for Wayne Rooney after being given encouragement from Manchester United they could be open to doing a deal, but Chelsea’s hopes of signing the striker appear dead, according to reports today.

Rooney’s future at Old Trafford came under scrutiny this summer after former boss Sir Alex Ferguson revealed he had asked to leave the club towards the end of last season. Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho soon confirmed his interest in the striker and saw two bids rejected, with United insisting they weren’t prepared to do business with the Blues.

A third bid has been touted and Mourinho hinted after last night’s 0-0 draw against the champions that it was time for Rooney to make up his mind if he wanted to push for a move to Stamford Bridge.

It appears he has got his answer with Sky Sports News reporting today that Rooney will not be handing in a transfer request, all-but ending any hopes of a move to west London.

However, Goal claim that while United have made it clear they won’t sell the 27-year-old to Chelsea, they have apparently given Arsenal encouragement that they might be prepared to sell the striker to them as they don’t see the north Londoners as a direct title rival.

The source suggests that the Gunners are now lining-up a late bid in the region of £25m with boss Arsene Wenger desperate to bring in a marquee striker before the transfer window closes. It’s been a hugely frustrating summer for the Frenchman after he missed out on several top transfer targets but Goal claim he’s now set his sights on Rooney after failing with his attempts to land Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema.

A move to Arsenal would be something of a shock if it were to go through and personally, I’d be hugely surprised to see it happen. United have insisted they don’t want to sell but it could simply come down to how much Rooney wants to leave. If United won’t sell to Chelsea and Rooney maintains he want’s out, Arsenal could have a chance if the striker is willing to move to the Emirates.

The former Everton man has less than two years left to run on his current contract and his value will have decreased dramatically by next summer. He’s unlikely to sign an extension if he’s kept at Old Trafford against his will, so perhaps United have decided to cash-in now and feel selling to Arsenal is better than selling to Chelsea?

Who knows, but with just under a week left of the summer transfer window, we won’t have long to find out how the Rooney saga plays out.

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