CHELSEA’S BID TO sign Wayne Rooney is the opening salvo in Jose Mourinho’s mind games, according to Dwight Yorke.
Manchester United won the first silverware of the new season yesterday with a Robin van Persie double firing them to a 2-0 win against Wigan in the Community Shield.
But the win was overshadowed slightly as manager David Moyes was forced to deny a rift with Rooney after the striker sat out the trip to Wembley.
It was the latest turn in a transfer saga which increasingly looks like it will end with Rooney leaving Old Trafford, despite the club’s insistence that they do not want to sell him.
Yorke believes that Chelsea’s overtures are partly motivated by a desire to unsettle the new United manager as he prepares for his first season as Alex Ferguson’s successor.
He said: “They’ve got to test the water with Moyes, being in that position, the psychological barrier, seeing how he’s going to react.
With Sir Alex in that position, [Mourinho] probably wouldn’t even think about it. The fact that Moyes is in that position now, he’s an easy target at this stage.
The ongoing uncertainty about Rooney’s future follows Moyes’ failure to bring in one of United’s top transfer targets, Thiago Alcantara, while Cesc Fabregas also looks likely to snub a move in favour of another season with Barcelona.
“Things are not looking that rosy with one of the best players at the football club,” Yorke continued, “and he’s not been able to attract the players to the football club so there’s a lot of questions being asked that Moyes is having to deal with at the same time.”
Moyes: won the first silverware of the new season yesterday (John Walton/EMPICS Sport)
Yorke also revealed that he has spoken to Rooney about his future and is convinced that if the 27-year-old feels appreciated at Old Trafford, he could be convinced to stay.
“All he just wants to do is play and be loved and be told that he’s great.
“Before Van Persie this last year, he’s been our best player by a mile, and suddenly this year he hasn’t been able to play in key games. That has sparked the whole thing, but the lad just wants to play.”
He added: “In my opinion he’s at the best club and if he does go to any other club that would be a regret, in my opinion of course. He may not see it that way.
In his heart, I know that he’ll feel like he needs a change, but we tried to tell him that this is the best place. We’ve all been there, we all felt like going to another club is the best thing to do.I feel that Wazza has a lot to offer still. You just need him to have that confidence back, that sort of swagger that he has. Just put your arm around him because he’s one of those type of players. Until he feels he’s getting that, then I think that he will seek his service somewhere else.
Sky kicks off its biggest ever Premier League season with live coverage of Swansea v Man Utd on Sky Sports 1, Sky 2 and Pick TV on 17 August.
