Sports:Brazil 2014: Wayne Rooney Under Intense Criticism

Rooney: Image Credit Supersports.com

Wayne Rooney may have been staunchly defended by England coach Roy Hodgson after the opening 2-1 defeat by Italy in the World Cup, but his performance attracted criticism from former top players and coaches.

Wayne Rooney For Chelsea: Chelsea FC Tells Manchester United To Name A Price For Rooney

Courtesy of Mirror.co.uk

Chelsea want Manchester United to name their price for Wayne Rooney.

Sunday Mirror Sport can reveal Chelsea are refusing to be put off by United’s public insistence Rooney will not be sold.

Sources close to Chelsea claim Roman Abramovich would be prepared to splash out over £30million for Rooney and match his £250,000-a-week United salary. It is believed Abramovich is determined not to be outbid by Paris ­Saint-Germain for Rooney and will blow any interest from Arsenal out of the water.

New United manager David Moyes has made Rooney’s future his top ­priority and will soon speak to the 27-year-old at Old Trafford.

Those talks may well decide ­whether or not Abramovich gets his man. Jose Mourinho is expected to return to the Blues for a second spell as manager and the Portuguese is a big fan of Rooney.

A source told Sunday ­Mirror Sport: “Chelsea want to make sure that if Wayne leaves United, there is only one place he will go.

“They are prepared to spend, big, big money on Rooney and they have told United that.

“Mourinho would love to manage Rooney. He thinks he can get him back to his best and use him in a ­similar way to how Didier Drogba operated for Chelsea.”

Mourinho’s advisers are this week due to hold talks with Real Madrid president Florentino Perez.

They want to find a ­compromise over who will pay the compensation fee to allow Mourinho to ­return to Chelsea.

It is understood Mourinho may be willing to pay part of the £17m compensation to free himself.

Meanwhile, Jose Mourinho has been told Cristiano Ronaldo will not be joining him at Chelsea.