WHERE WILL WAYNE ROONEY WIND UP?

Which way now for Wayne Rooney?

With Wayne Rooney possibly on his way out of Manchester United following Sir Alex Ferguson's revelations that the England striker does not want sign a new deal at Old Trafford, his next destination is sure to be a hot topic.

There are only a small number of clubs who have the cash and the status to tempt a player of Rooney's calibre and here we assess the likelihood of each.

MANCHESTER CITY
A short taxi ride to Eastlands would be the easiest move for Rooney from a lifestyle point of view and there is no doubt about City's financial resources or their on-field aspirations.
They could afford a transfer fee and would be ready to double the player's wages in a heartbeat. But the fans' furore over Carlos Tevez's move will look like a minor skirmish compared to the reaction of a deal for Rooney.

CHELSEA
Blues boss Carlo Ancelotti would apparently be amenable to a move for Rooney. Although there has been a sharp move away from the mega-money transfers that characterised Roman Abramovich's early years at Stamford Bridge, the Russian billionaire could be persuaded to loosen the purse strings for a player of Rooney's standing. Didier Drogba is probably unassailable as the team's leader of the line, but Rooney would work well as a deeper-lying partner to the Ivorian.

BARCELONA
Barca have put together perhaps the most envied group of footballers on the planet and would be remiss not consider the possible effect of adding Rooney to their collection. Nevertheless, they may ultimately decide their current crop of ball-playing forwards do not require another competitor. Indeed, Rooney's all action style may not sit as easily with the Catalan side's measured approach as some think

REAL MADRID
Real have history of taking United's wantaway stars in return for bundles of cash - that was the escape clause used by both David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo - and the club's powerbrokers would surely see Rooney as their next Galactico. Money is always available when a global star is up for grabs and the fact that Rooney and Ronaldo have proved a lethal combination in the past only adds to the possibility.

LIVERPOOL
Rank outsiders due to Rooney's Everton heritage but in Fernando Torres the Reds have their own off-colour international star. An exchange deal would be a fascinating - if highly unlikely - possibility, but both players look in need of a change of scenery and new Liverpool owners NESV are looking to make a statement in the transfer marker. On the downside, relegation to the Championship would probably torpedo any chance of a return to Merseyside.

WAYNE ROONEY TIMELINE

March 30: Suffers a nasty-looking ankle injury in the Champions League quarter-final first leg against Bayern Munich. Initial assessments suggest he will be out for up to three weeks.

April 8: A surprise inclusion in the starting XI for the second leg against Bayern after just a week on the sidelines. Rooney hurts his ankle again and United are bundled out of the competition.

June 18: Said "nice to see your home fans boo you" to TV cameras after England's disappointing goalless draw with Algeria at the World Cup. England were knocked out in the second round, with Rooney failing to score in four matches and looking well short of his best form throughout.

September 5: Lurid newspaper allegations over Rooney's private life are printed. The striker travels with England for their Euro 2012 qualifier but extends a long goalless period for his country against Switzerland.

September 10: In a joint statement with wife Colleen, Rooney says "the last six days have been extremely painful for us and for our families," and appeals for privacy.

September 11: United manager Sir Alex Ferguson excuses Rooney from duty at his old club Everton fearing a hostile reception from the Toffees fans. United draw 3-3 in his absence.

September 14: Quiet on his Red Devils return in a disappointing goalless draw against Rangers in Champions League.

September 26: Substituted after injuring ankle against Bolton and ruled out of European trip to Valencia.

October 1: Ferguson says Rooney is not fit enough to play in United's next league match against Sunderland but could be available for England.

October 2: In an interview as part of a promotional appearance for a video game manufacturer, he pleads "I'm only human... I hurt as well" and says he needs consistent games to get back to his best.

October 13: Off colour as England draw 0-0 with Montenegro but appears to contradict Ferguson by saying he has been training as normal and has no fitness problems.

October 16: Left on the bench by Ferguson for United's match with West Brom. He plays a late a cameo but is stationed on the left wing.

October 19: Ferguson confirms reports that Rooney has declined a new deal and wants to leave the United.

Ferguson confirms Rooney wants to leave Man United

Shell-shocked Sir Alex Ferguson accused Wayne Rooney of failing to respect Manchester United.
Exactly a week after Rooney blew his relationship with Ferguson wide open, the United boss has responded in the most damning manner.
In a monologue that lasted exactly six minutes and 33 seconds at the end of a press conference to preview Wednesday's Champions League encounter with Bursaspor, and an interview with MUTV that had been conducted approximately half an hour earlier, which took the Rooney camp completely by surprise, Ferguson confirmed the 24-year-old had asked to leave Old Trafford but declared "the door was still open" for him to stay.
A sarcastic conclusion would be that the door is only open because Ferguson smashed it shut so hard it bounced off its hinges.
Ferguson will have put every major European club on red alert, including Manchester City, who have more cash than anyone and know just how audacious a move for Rooney would be.
Everton are also going to be interested observers considering they stand to pocket 25% of any transfer fee United receive, above the £27million sum they initially spent to buy the player in 2004.
Ferguson is not the type to open his heart. Yet that is how it seemed as he tried to draw conclusions from the complete U-turn Rooney's career path has taken since he announced last spring his intention to remain with United for life.
The Scot's assessment did not make pretty reading for a player who celebrates his 25th birthday on Saturday and whose private life is mired in controversy amid lurid allegations that came to light in September.
"I was in the office on August 14 and (chief executive) David (Gill) phoned me," outlined Ferguson.
"He had got a phone call from his agent saying that he (Rooney) wasn't signing a contract.
"I couldn't believe it. I just was dumbfounded. I could not understand it because only months before he was saying he was at the greatest club in the world and he wanted to stay for life.
"We just don't know what's changed the boy's mind.
"The next step was going to be important, decisive for us.
"I then asked to have a meeting with the boy and he reiterated what his agent had said - he wanted to go.
"The one thing I said was 'Just remember one thing: respect this club. I don't want any nonsense from you. Respect the club'.
"I don't know if he's done that. I have got doubts on that because we're reading things about falling out with me and all that nonsense. It's disappointing because we have done everything we possibly can to help Wayne Rooney from the minute he's come to the club."
It is quite extraordinary such news remained secret until Sunday.
Also somewhat surprising is the fact United did not try to cash in before the transfer window closed on August 31 given Rooney now only has 20 months on his present deal left to run.
On days such as this though, Ferguson stands on his own on centre stage and, without mentioning him by name, criticising the influence of Rooney's long-time adviser Paul Stretford.
"With the modern-day players it is not as easy as it was many years ago," he said.
"Then the player would trust and depend on the manager. You also had more contact with parents.
"But that has gone now. It is dealing with agents who live in the pockets of players. It's a pity."
It is from that position Ferguson is insisting the door is still open.
The chances of Rooney walking through it, even before he was amazingly strechered off United's Carrington training ground with an ankle injury - the injury that started the whole explosion a week ago - appear slim, with a January exit rated most likely.
But an offer remains, if not a contract. Discussions never actually got that far.
"We realise and recognise the quality of the player, that's why the negotiations were starting early summer - two years before his contract was up - to extend that contract," said Ferguson.
"So we were honouring that request from Wayne to stay at the club he loved.
"David was prepared, following discussions with our owners to offer Wayne the best contract any player could have.
"Now there is no offer on the table because they are not prepared to listen to one."
Neither was Rooney prepared to accept Ferguson's claim that an ankle injury had ruled him out of recent games against Valencia and Sunderland, even though his manager now admits it was partly a device aimed at saving the player from professional humiliation.
"He was injured," said Ferguson.
"Why he came out and said what he did (in the mixed zone at Wembley), you can only guess yourself.
"You have times when you know that a player's form is a little bit down that you say he has an injury simply because you are protecting him.
"You don't want to humiliate him because you respect him.
"In this case I felt that we would give him a complete break to get rid of all traces of the ankle injury, play for England, hoping we'd get his form back.
"That was the intention."