He has been linked with a January move to Italy and China, but Manchester United captain Wayne Rooney is “going nowhere”, according to manager Jose Mourinho.
The 31-year-old Rooney has not started a league game since the 3-1 defeat to Watford on 18 September and has missed United’s last two games with injury.
“There is no problem at all but you need stories to sell papers,” said the former Chelsea and Real Madrid boss.
“[Rooney] is a top player, a very important player for us,” added Mourinho. “He is going nowhere – we like him, he likes us. He’s not happy because he’s been on the bench but he is even unhappier when he’s injured.”
Rooney is now fit after recovering from the calf injury that forced him to miss Sunday’s 4-0 defeat to Chelsea and Wednesday’s EFL Cup win over Manchester City.
He is just four goals short of passing Sir Bobby Charlton’s record of 249 goals for United, to become the club’s all-time record goalscorer.
Which is probably the biggest reason why the Rooney to leave in January rumors are false. When you are that close to becoming the all-time scorer for a club the size of Manchester United you don’t leave.
Yes, he has scored just once this season and has not found the net in his last 10 games for United, but there is no doubt that Rooney will get at least four more goals this season. That way he can break the record before he leaves next summer.