Recent reports are claiming that Stoke City are seriously preparing a shock £45 million move for Manchester United and England player Wayne Rooney. Would he fit in at the Potters?
In the past two seasons Rooney has only scored 13 goals and has come under a lot of media scrutiny. So it’s time to ask if this move would actually suit the player, club and everyone else involved.
The player
In recent times Rooney has moved slightly further back on the pitch from a centre forward to an attacking midfielder. At the 2016 Euro’s Rooney was often deployed as a central midfielder alongside Dele Alli and received a lot of criticism for his performances.
His game at the tournament involved a lot of sideways passing and especially in games such as the Iceland one he was largely ineffectual.
Despite actually scoring the forgettable penalty to put England 1-0 up, Rooney struggled to impact the game and trouble Iceland.
A move to a mid-table club could be just the tonic Rooney’s career needs. The pressure that accompanies playing for a top club like Manchester United may finally have become too much for Rooney. If this is true, a move to a club that isn’t often the centre of media attention could work very well in revitalising Rooney’s career.
Stoke City
Stoke fans are already divided on whether this move would benefit the club. More than anything the advantage of this deal is the statement of intent that it provides. This would undoubtedly be Stoke City signing a player who has been of genuine world class quality.
The shirt sales and hysteria around this transfer would really put Stoke on the global footballing map. The club is currently assessing where its aspirations should be, and with a player like Rooney in the squad ambition would suddenly go through the roof.
But not forgetting, Stoke already possess a talented option at number 10 in the squad. Even though he has been out on loan in the second half of this season, Bojan is still rooted in the hearts of Stoke fans. The little Spaniard is loved by the vast majority of the fans and is still a player of great pedigree.
Especially considering Bojan was acquired for less than £1 million, Rooney’s astronomical transfer fee and wages would lead to fans putting a lot of expectation on the team to finish high and maybe even win a trophy. Considering Stoke under Mark Hughes have often slipped under the media’s radar, lots of attention may be unwanted.
Other parties
So who else would be affected by such an insane transfer? If England and Manchester United’s all-time top scorer did join a mid-table Stoke there would be plenty of ramifications. First and foremost, Manchester United themselves.
Rooney still has a contract at United until the summer of 2018 so the Red Devils will be hoping to acquire a reasonable transfer fee for him, although they could be willing to allow him to leave for free.
There has also been interest shown in China and the MLS, both infamous for their inflated finances. But even Stoke have big spending power now due to the Premier League TV rights and their powerful shirt sponsor Bet 365, founded of course by the club’s owner Peter Coates.
So should this move go ahead? And if so who would benefit most from it? Let us know in the comments.
