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LONDON — Manchester United could turn their attentions to signing Gareth Bale after seeing a move for one of their top transfer targets falter.
Chelsea, meanwhile, aren’t stopping in their pursuit of Wayne Rooney. The Premier League champions saw long-term target Spain Under 21 star Thiago Alcantara choose to leave Barcelona to join former manager Pep Guardiola at Bayern Munich.
But United are desperate to back new manager David Moyes in his title defence and are great admirers of Tottenham winger Bale, who picked up three player of the year awards last season after scoring 21 League goals for Spurs.
Uruguayan defender Guillermo Varela is United’s sole signing this summer, but the club could launch a bid as high as £60million for Bale this month, according to the Daily Mirror.
But United remain wary of being sucked into a drawn-out summer transfer saga with Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy that could result in United missing out on Bale or paying above the odds.
Bale (24), has been heavily linked with a move to Real Madrid this summer, with the Spanish giants keen to pair the Wales star with former United forward Cristiano Ronaldo.
Less than 24 hours after sources close to Rooney revealed the ‘angry and confused’ striker was ready to submit a written transfer request because manager David Moyes had suggested the 27-year-old would not be his first-choice forward, Chelsea put in an official offer of around £22million.
It was rejected by United but Chelsea will now return with an improved bid of £25m — plus £3m in add-ons — and may even go as high as £30m to get their man. The opening offer was revealed by MailOnline and, while Chelsea denied it was a cash-plus-player deal with the makeweights being Juan Mata or David Luiz, they did confirm a bid had been lodged.
On a dramatic day, United rejected the offer and told Chelsea not to return with an improved bid because Rooney is not for sale. Chelsea then took the extraordinary step of accusing the Barclays Premier League champions of leaking details of the original offer.
A statement from Stamford Bridge read: “Chelsea FC can confirm that yesterday it made a written offer to Manchester United for the transfer of Wayne Rooney.
“Although the terms of the offer are confidential, for avoidance of doubt and contrary to what is apparently being briefed to the Press in Sydney, the proposed purchase price does not include the transfer or loan of any players from Chelsea to Manchester United.”
There will be an improved bid for Rooney and further offers should they be necessary. Chelsea are even prepared to do business after they play United in Moyes’ first Barclays Premier League game at Old Trafford on 26 August.
Asked whether his club were pursuing other targets, Mourinho was emphatic. “No, and we won’t,”he said. Asked if it was Rooney or bust, Mourinho replied: “Yes.”
“The situation is clear because nothing is secret any more,” said Mourinho. “Chelsea are interested in the player. Chelsea made an official bid. What we did, we did officially between our club and Man United and there is nothing else to say. We want the player. We are interested in the player. We made the bid. You have to respect, of course, Man United and you have to be ethical in this process.”
Arsenal have also expressed a desire to sign Rooney and Arsene Wenger, with his side in Vietnam, made it clear the England star’s £250 000-a-week wage demands were no longer beyond the North Londoners. — BBC
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