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Manchester United made it abundantly clear on Wednesday, Wayne Rooney is staying put.
He’s not for sale and the odds of Rooney remaining at Man Utd. were getting shorter. BetFred.com had the price at 8/13 while Bet365 offered odds of 4/7. His odds of going to Chelsea have moved from EVEN at some books to 6/4. The overall shift hasn’t exactly been earth-shattering nonetheless.
Chelsea have already been turned down in their two previous efforts bidding for Rooney.
Daniel Taylor of The Guardian writes:
However, the Guardian has learned there has never been a point over the summer when United have placed a valuation on him – or even talked about it. Chelsea's bids have been considered derisory behind the scenes at Old Trafford but that is largely irrelevant compared to the bigger point that it is not a financial matter, but more a case of protecting the team, supporting Moyes and ensuring there is no damage to the club's status. Chelsea's £50m signing of Fernando Torres from Liverpool was widely seen throughout the game as a shift in dynamic between the two clubs. United are adamant they will not put themselves in the same position.
Their thinking is also driven by a recognition that Rooney belongs to a rare group of match-winning players and that, at 27, selling him to Chelsea would mean passing on a forward capable of scoring 20 to 30 goals a season for the next five years. United, in short, are in complete agreement with Gary Neville’s view that they "would be mad to sell him".
Man City, Chelsea and Man Utd. are co-favorites to win the 2013-2014 Premier League with the average price hovering around 9/4.
- Alistair Prescott, Gambling911.com
