Wayne Rooney
Wayne Rooney has yet to appear for Manchester United in preseason. Reuters

Chelsea have had a second bid rejected by Manchester United for forward Wayne Rooney. Having had an offer of £20 million knocked back for the unsettled England international, Chelsea’s latest offer, according to widespread reports, was for £25 million plus £5 million in potential add-ons. United continue to insist that the player is not for sale.

The saga could be set for a further twist, though, with The Guardian among the publications suggesting that Rooney is prepared to hand in a formal transfer request in order to force his club’s hand into negotiating with Chelsea. Fueling speculation over Rooney’s future is the fact that he has been left out of Manchester United’s squad for their pre-season game against AIK Stockholm in Sweden on Tuesday, with his club citing a shoulder injury. Rooney left United’s tour of Asia and Australia last month after he was said to have contracted a hamstring problem.

Sir Alex Ferguson claimed that Rooney had asked to leave the club at the end of last season having seen his role in the team marginalized. While the player’s camp is believed to dispute that suggestion, Rooney let it be known in recent weeks that he was “angry and confused” by comments from new United boss David Moyes that hinted he was a backup for Robin van Persie. Rooney is likely to fear a backlash from supporters if he hands in a second transfer request in three years, but that may occur regardless if he is selected for Rio Ferdinand’s testimonial at Old Trafford on Friday.

Chelsea are determined to land Rooney, with manager Jose Mourinho having stated that the former Everton youngster was his only remaining target in the summer transfer window. There still remains the possibility that the Europa League winners could enter the market for a holding midfielder, however. Bayern Munich’s Luiz Gustavo is one name to be strongly linked in recent days, with the likelihood that his role will be further diminished this season following the arrival of Thiago Alcantara and Mario Gotze.

Chelsea are not the only club said to be interested in the player, though, with Wolfsburg thought to have made an approach in recent days. And Luiz Gustavo’s agent has hinted that his client would be interested in a move. “If Bayern allows, Luiz will talk with every major and reputable club,” Roger Wittmann said, according to Talksport. “This includes VFL Wolfsburg.”

The Blues are also one of the clubs keen on Brazilian youngster Victor Andrade, according to the Daily Mirror. The 17-year-old forward’s contract with Santos has just a year left to run and it is thought that he has no plans to renew. Indeed, the player, whose godfather is Milan forward Robinho, has revealed that he is eager for a move to Europe.

“Quite simply, I would love to play in Europe,” he said, reports the Mirror. “My godfather Robinho has told me of the great experiences he had at Real Madrid, Manchester City and AC Milan. He told me how it made him a better player because playing in Europe means you must adapt to different styles and systems.

“I think it will be a great education for me. Everybody around the world knows about the strength of the Premier League. And many Brazilian players have done well when they have played in England. Players like David Luiz and Oscar at Chelsea and now Paulinho has gone to Tottenham to play alongside Sandro.”

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