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Since having run the love boat aground on the rock of alcohol and nights cast in red lights, Wayne Rooney has been anything but in form. His personal and professional relationships have been under strain, and he has clearly lost his focus. 
That said the revelations coming out of Old Trafford today still come as a a shock. It is now being reported by both the guardian.co.uk and the BBC that Rooney will not sign a new contract for the Red Devils. The speculation as to why this has happened is rampant, and I won’t go into too much detail here, suffice to say the negotiations slowed right around the revelations (or revaluations) about the late nights out. But if this isn’t a negotiating tactic, and his relationship with Sir Alex is damaged beyond repair, their are only two possible destinations for him; Real Madrid, or Manchester City.
The reasons for the move to Real Madrid are fairly obvious; they can afford him, the tax status is better for footballers, less rain. Frankly, these aren’t that interesting, although it would be great to see him playing with the other masters of La Liga on a regular basis. The possibility of him following in Tevez footsteps across town and into a Manchester City jersey are much more juicy.
There are several reasons Rooney might head across the town; he wouldn’t have to uproot his already stressed family, he could thumb his nose at Sir Alex on a regular basis, and he could finally assert some control over his own destiny.
For me, the later is the real reason behind the tensions at Old Trafford. Rooney has, since the age of 16, had his destiny dictated to him by the agents or managers of his respective clubs. He may fell that is time to spread his wings, and take control of his own destiny. Having debuted at 16, he will not be playing anywhere near top form when he is as old as Giggs or Scholes, and this current spell maybe the beginning of the end. For that reason, Rooney may want to move on, and City are the natural choice. While he has played at United for some time, he is not from the area, and has no real loyalty to the club, or his manager apparently. He also said in the past that he has no desire to leave England and play abroad which seems to count out Real Madrid as a possibility. Chelsea seem uninterested, and no other Premier League Club could realistically afford him. This is why I think a move to Manchester City is his only real option.
Now Sir Alex may have something to say about a move that would see a weapon like Rooney go to the side he prides himself on keeping down. But with his own career coming to an end, and the Glazer’s facing their own staggering debt, he may want to be careful. The Glazer’s will have the final say in any sale that goes through, not the manager, and while Fergie may have had the final word in the past, this might provide the Glazer’s with an opportunity to assert themselves as owners. The bottom line is that when faced with the possibility of getting 80 million pounds for an asset in January, or nothing at the end of May; they will choose to sell.
Who knows what will happen then, if Rooney does go to Man City against Ferguson’s wishes what will that mean for his relationship with the club? “No one is bigger than the club,” Sir Alex would do well to remember that.
