Wayne Rooney 'rejected China move in summer'

Luo Ning revealed how he met with the Manchester United captain's agent to discuss a possible transfer, but their offer was quickly rejected.

Rooney, 31, has lost his indispensable status at Old Trafford following a catalogue of indifferent displays over the past few seasons.

Reports have linked him with a switch away from the Premier League – with the MLS and China touted as potential destinations.

"We indeed made an approach for Rooney at the beginning of the season but he's informed us that he wants to stay in Manchester United," Luo Ning told a local sports radio show.

"Rooney says he'll keep playing in the Premier League as long as his health allows. We even met with his agent [Paul Stratford]."

After initially losing his place in Jose Mourinho’s side, Rooney was restored to United’s starting XI for the 3-1 win over Swansea on Sunday.

Age has not treated Rooney particularly kindly. His game was once defined by explosive play, but those days of terrifying defences are firmly in the past. While he has adapted to play deeper – the 31-year-old possesses a remarkable long-range pass in the quarterback role – his presence often leads to an overrun midfield. And then there’s his first-touch, which is woefully inconsistent.

Still, he has a remarkable knack of finding the net. He’s not the only major problem at United – far from it – with the defence and summer signings Paul Pogba and Henrikh Mkhitaryan proving particularly problematic as Mourinho tries to re-shape the team. So if Rooney can continue contributing as a squad player, United fans might just tolerate him.

A move abroad beckons eventually, of course. But would anyone match his reported £300,000-a-week deal that runs at United until 2019?