JOSE MOURINHO OFFERED a curious response when asked if Wayne Rooney would remain at Manchester United until the end of the season.

“Of course I can’t guarantee”, he said.

“I cannot guarantee that I’m here next week, how can I guarantee that a player is here next season? What I can guarantee is that if one day Wayne leaves the club it is not because I want him to leave the club. I would never push a legend of this club to another destiny.”

In recent days, rumours have mounted that a move to the Chinese Super League could be a real possibility for Rooney, who has had to make do with a substitute’s role since Mourinho’s arrival as boss.

Mike Egerton Mike Egerton

He’s scored just twice in the top-flight this season and found minutes hard to come by owing to Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s form as the central striker and increased competition in midfield, even with the recent departures of Memphis Depay and Morgan Schneiderlin.

He has not been included in United’s squad for tomorrow’s Europa League clash with Saint-Etienne because of an unspecified injury and Mourinho could not guarantee if he’ll be involved in the League Cup final against Southampton on Sunday.

Rooney has 18 months left on his contract but it would be optimistic to think his situation will get any better, especially with Mourinho expected to make a handful of signings in the summer.

The 31-year-old’s current plight will not have gone unnoticed by the free-spending CSL, whose transfer window doesn’t close until next Tuesday.

But it remains to be seen if Rooney is keen on such a cultural shift. A move to Major League Soccer would seem a much better fit, especially given his young family. One thing is clear: his future at Manchester United appears cloudy at best.

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