Absolutely perfect club emerges as frontrunners for Wayne Rooney’s signature

If the bean-counters can be convinced, these two parties could be made for each other.

Manchester United have given Michael Carrick a one-year contract extension and it is the sensible option. The 35-year-old may not be a regular next season but even if he played 15 to 20 games, he would not let his side down. Meanwhile, exit preparations are being earnestly made for a player four years younger than him. Can Wayne Rooney do it on a wet Tuesday night at Stoke? We could be about to find out. According to The Mirror, Stoke City are lining up an audacious bid for the Manchester United captain and are hoping their kit sponsors, bet 365, will front up a hefty chunk of the fee and salary. Rooney has a year left on his United contract but there is also the option of an add-on year. He is on just under £300,000 per week and cannot realistically expect to get anything like that from The Potters but will not be willing to drop too far. There are more lucrative offers in the ether from MLS and Chinese Super League sides but Rooney is understood to prefer a Premier League switch. Everton had seemed the likely destination but several news outlets are reporting a split in their board over the possible return of the prodigal son. The Mirror is reporting that United may hold out for £20m for Rooney but the prospect of getting his £15m annual salary off the wage bill could see them part ways for half that price. Stoke would centre much of their play around servicing Rooney as their main striker and he would be spared the rigours of European matches, and travel, at The Britannia. When Stoke signed Ryan Shawcross from United in 2008 it was for a club record fee... of £1,000,000. How times change.