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LONDON — Chelsea on Sunday night had a second bid for Wayne Rooney rejected by Manchester United.
The fee, believed to be in the region of £25 million, was instantly dismissed by United manager David Moyes, who has continually stressed the England forward will stay with the Premier League champions.
Manchester United have confirmed they have rejected a second bid from Chelsea for want-away striker Rooney who has not travelled with the Manchester United squad for a pre-season friendly in Sweden today.
The England star, who was the subject of a second rejected bid from Chelsea this weekend, was expected to face AIK in Stockholm today but has been left behind due to a shoulder injury, according to United boss David Moyes.
“Wayne hurt his shoulder in a fall during a match on Saturday,” Moyes told the club’s official website. “It’s not too serious and I don’t expect it to keep him out for too long.
“I’m disappointed he’s missing the game because we were keen to get him back involved and ready to play.”
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has already seen one offer of around £20m for the England striker turned down but an improved sum in the region of £30m has been given equally short shrift.
Mourinho admitted last month that Rooney was his sole summer target, while the player himself is reportedly ready to try and force through a move by handing in a written transfer request. United boss Moyes has repeatedly insisted that the 27-year-old is not for sale and a club spokesman reiterated that hard-line stance yesterday morning.
“A bid was received yesterday (Sunday) and immediately rejected,” the spokesman said. “Our position remains that he is not for sale.” Rooney, who has two years left on his current deal, was expected to board a flight to Sweden yesterday afternoon, ahead of United’s pre-season friendly against AIK in Stockholm today.
Moyes reportedly angered Rooney when he suggested the England star would be needed “if for any reason we had an injury to Robin van Persie”. Graeme Souness believes Manchester United have backed themselves into a corner with their handling of the striker, but will not sell him to a Premier League rival.
He said: “Whether it was intentional or unwise words by David Moyes, if I’m Wayne Rooney I’m thinking ‘hang on, I’m the star of the show’.
“He sees himself as now second fiddle to van Persie. He will be a very unhappy young man at that – his ego’s been dented.
“Manchester United have put themselves in very difficult situation, but I don’t think they can sell him to an English team.”
But Chelsea manager Mourinho, who saw an initial bid of around £20 million turned down last month, will continue in his pursuit of the 27-year-old and remains desperate to bring him to Stamford Bridge.
Telegraph Sport understands the situation is set to come to a head this week with Rooney, who is angry at United’s stance, ready to hand in a transfer request and force a move away from Old Trafford. The striker was expected to be named in the United squad to face AIK in Stockholm tonight with Rio Ferdinand’s testimonial against Seville next up on Friday.
But an adverse fan reaction would only heighten Rooney’s desperation to leave with less than four weeks before the transfer window closes. Moyes will be put in a difficult situation once Rooney hands in a written request but it is understood there has been no fallout between the pair.
The striker remains unhappy with Sir Alex Ferguson after the Scot insisted he had asked to leave at the end of the season despite Rooney insisting otherwise.
With Ferguson still in a position of power at Old Trafford, Rooney sees no alternative but to quit the club. Nemanja Vidic will skipper the United side in Sweden after missing the first leg of the tour due to a sciatica problem, while Portuguese winger Bebe, signed for £7.4m in 2010 but yet to start a game in the Premier League, is also in the squad.
Meanwhile, Manchester United have accepted defeat in their attempts to sign Cesc Fabregas, according to Barcelona sporting director Andoni Zubizarreta
Fabregas has been the subject of rejected bids of £26 million and £30 million from United but there has been a belief at Old Trafford that the Spain international is genuinely attracted by a return to England.
But Zubizarreta said on Sunday that United had now accepted that Fabregas would be staying at the Nou Camp.
Spanish newspaper Sport: quoted Zubizarreta as saying: “Manchester United are interested in the player, but it’s also true that they understand our position of not wanting to sell. They have renounced his signing.”
Zubizarreta, speaking in Israel where the Catalan giants are currently on tour, was also quoted as saying by Barcelona’s official website: “He has a contract with us. We count on Cesc. I said that on the day of the presentation of Tito Vilanova and also with Tata [new coach Gerardo Martino]: he’s an extraordinary player who creates and finishes chances. We are delighted with him.”
The comments come a day after Martino appeared to give United fresh hope by saying that though he would like Fabregas to stay it was up to the 26-year-old.
Arsène Wenger, the Arsenal manager, has been a mentor to Fabregas throughout his career and said earlier this summer that he believed his former player was “lacking the confidence” of being a regular player, but like Zubizarreta he does not expect him to leave.
“What I know is that Fabregas will stay one more year at least in Barcelona,” said Wenger. “If that changes, I don’t know.”
The 26-year-old former Arsenal captain has created uncertainty over his future in Catalonia by remaining silent on his intentions this summer. Moyes, the new United manager, has made Fabregas his transfer priority this summer but would now need to break the club’s transfer record to have any chance of prising him from Barcelona.
And it has been revealed that United came within 20 minutes of pulling out of a friendly match over a sponsorship row.
The Premier League champions eventually took to the pitch at Sydney’s ANZ Stadium where they beat the Australian A-League All-Stars 5-1. But United officials had refused to allow the players to line up for the game last month, which was part of United’s pre-season tour, because the stadium’s giant screens were flashing up advertisements for Coca-Cola.
This was unacceptable to United’s commercial department, who were on the brink of signing a multi-million pound sponsorship deal with Pepsi in the Asian-Pacific region, which has since been confirmed.
A compromise was finally reached where all Coke ads were replaced by ads for Mount Franklin water — another Coca-Cola Amatil product, but not a direct rival to Pepsi. — Sky Sports-The Telegraph.
Online Reporter