Manchester United Transfer Rumors: United Should Consider Moving Wayne Rooney

 

This may sound crazy, but I think Manchester United should think long and hard about selling Wayne Rooney this summer.

Before you decide to call me crazy, egg my house or flood my Twitter feed with various reasons why you think I have less intelligence than your pet rock—seriously though, you have a pet rock?—hear me out.
For one, United is very likely to receive a sizable bid over the summer, perhaps from a team like Paris Saint-Germain. From David McDonnell of the Mirror:

Zlatan Ibrahimovic could leave Paris Saint-Germain—paving the way for a £35 million bid for Manchester United's Wayne Rooney by the money-bags French side.
Ibrahimovic is said to be disillusioned with life in France after less than one season, and could be ready to move on this summer to what would be the eighth club of his nomadic career.
That would leave the mega-rich, Qatari-owned PSG free to raid the Old Trafford club for Rooney.

If I were Manchester United, I would want £45 million, and definitely ship Rooney to Paris for that sort of money. For £40 million, I would probably be persuaded as well.
Yes, I know Sir Alex Ferguson already said Rooney would be sticking around this year. I've also learned to take what managers and front-office people say regarding personnel with a grain of salt.

Let's be honest—since the signing of Robin van Persie this summer, Rooney has felt like a man without a position. He's no longer the team's primary goal-scoring option, and he doesn't look terribly comfortable dropping back into more defensive positions.
Honestly, did you ever think Rooney would be on the bench to start a game like last week's Champions League match against Real Madrid? Did you ever think a player of Rooney's class would spend his time watching one of the team's biggest matches of the year?
Of course not, but it's become apparent this year that Rooney is expendable.
He's still darn good, but for United, he's expendable.

Should the Red Devils sell Rooney this summer?

   Maybe, but only for the right price. You are crazy if you think they should sell him, I'm going to throw eggs at your house and my pet rock is awesome, thank you very much!

The team is set up top with Van Persie, Danny Welbeck and Javier Hernandez. Out wide, they are pretty strong with Antonio Valencia, Ashley Young and Nani (if he sticks around). Furthermore, while they would obviously have the cash to replace Rooney if they sold him, it's not hard to envision Shinji Kagawa sliding into Rooney's second striker or attacking midfielder role.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying United should actively shop Rooney. The man is still one of the more dangerous players in the world. However, for the right price, I think the Red Devils should sell him. There's no question about it.
See, I'm not crazy. It's obvious this year Rooney is no longer the best fit for this United roster. A lot can change between now and next September, obviously, but Manchester United must at least consider shipping Rooney out of town if the right offer comes their way.