Manchester United forward Wayne Rooney has reportedly been offered a sensational £1m-a-week deal to move to China which would make him the best-paid player in the world.
The 31-year-old made history on Saturday as he scored his 250th United goal to surpass Sir Bobby Charlton at the top of the club’s all-time goalscoring list.
While his initial reaction was that he wanted to continue to add more goals to his tally, he may be forced to think twice about his future given the latest speculation.
According to The Sun, Rooney has been offered a package worth £60m a year in order to move to the Chinese Super League in the summer, with United said to be ready to allow him to leave if he wishes to.
The wages on offer would significantly outdo his current £300,000-a-week deal, and given that he is no longer a guaranteed starter under Jose Mourinho, perhaps the riches of China can entice him to leave Manchester and start a new challenge in the Far East.
Beijing Guoan previously revealed last year that Rooney had turned down a chance to join them, while the report adds that Guangzhou Evergrande would also be an option for the England international.
Having now set the new club record, it would seem as though the timing is now right for Rooney, as ultimately he’s won all there is to win at Old Trafford and has cemented his legacy with the Red Devils.
While there will undoubtedly be a desire to stay in the Premier League and continue to compete at a high level, there is an argument that Mourinho and United will start moving in a different direction which could leave their talismanic forward as a spectator on a more regular basis moving forward.
With the CSL rules changing, with each club restricted to three foreigners combined with a crackdown on spiralling wages, Rooney will likely have to make his decision sooner rather than later to ensure that he has a lucrative deal in place to start the next chapter in his career.