Real Madrid In Secret Talks Ahead Of £33m Bid to Sign Man United Striker Wayne Rooney

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Bernabeu president confident of landing Old Trafford star.

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Real Madrid are locked in ‘secret’ talks with Man United over a potential £33m deal to sign want-away Man United striker Wayne Rooney.

CaughtOffside understands that the Bernabeu side have been in negotiations with outgoing Old Trafford chief executive David Gill in relation to their interest in the 27 year old England international, who requested a move away from Man United a couple of weeks ago.

Man United hope to convince Rooney to withdraw his request, which is at this stage only a verbal one and hasn’t been followed up with an official transfer request, but are ready to sell the forward if they fail to persuade the attacker to stay with the club.

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez discuss their interest in Rooney with Gill during a meeting that is said to have, briefly, touched upon Man United’s potential interest in re-signing Cristiano Ronaldo, a move that the Spanish giants are not willing to consider.

Wayne Rooney’s request to leave Man United, his second such declaration in three years, is said to have fermented following Sir Alex Ferguson’s decision to not name him in his starting eleven for the Premier League side’s crucial second leg tie with Real Madrid.

A feeling of resentment has continued to grow, resulting in a reduced role for Rooney in the final weeks of the campaign. The fact that his request to leave pre-dates the naming of David Moyes as the club’s new boss is likely to further exacerbate matters.

The Everton boss sued Rooney following allegations the former Toffees star made in an autobiography, the matter was settled out of court but the pair have enjoyed a fractious relationship ever since Man United signed the player back in August 2004 and any wish to leave Man United will only have increased since seeing the Goodison Park boss agree a deal to succeed Sir Alex Ferguson at the Old Trafford helm.

Real Madrid president Perez is desperate to land a ‘Marquee’ signing this summer to aid his re-election to the Bernabeu post and with moves to bring in Tottenham winger Gareth Bale seemingly hitting a dead-end the 66 year old Spaniard has turned his attention to Wayne Rooney.

Indeed Perez’s switch from Bale to Rooney as his preferred target may well be down to a basis of need, with Real Madrid having a fair few wide attacking options and not enough effective strikers in their armoury.

With moves to offload a number of the club’s big earners, with the likes of Gonzalo Higuain, Fabio Coentrao and Angel Di Maria being linked with exits, Perez will also look to resolve the lack of striking options.

Currently Real Madrid rely too heavily on Cristiano Ronaldo for an end product and Jose Mourinho has opted primarily to use Karim Benzema, with Higuain as back-up, to fill in up front, with mixed results.

Rooney has increasingly been used in a more withdrawn role at Man United following the arrival of Robin Van Persie but Real Madrid will offer the Croxteth born star to ply his trade in an out and out central striker and this may well interest the England man.

Real Madrid have in the past raided Man United for their top talents, with the likes of the aforementioned Ronaldo, Ruud Van Nistelrooy and David Beckham all making the switch to the La Liga side, and Perez believes that a move to sign Rooney could be an even easier deal to pull off.

Real Madrid are willing to offer up to €40m (£33m) for Rooney, a valuation that is perhaps a fair price given the player’s desire to leave and that fact that he has just over two years to run on his current contract.

Perez is convinced that with Rooney having already publicly declared his intention to leave Man United half the job is done.

Wayne Rooney will find it hard to once again back-track from a transfer request, having sorely tested Man United’s fan’s loyalty when he made a similar request in the summer of 2010, and as such a move away from the club is certainly a distinct possibility.

Rooney is Man United’s fourth highest goal-scorer of all time, scoring 197 goals in 400 appearances made over the course of nine seasons at the club.

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