Rooney Warns United Against Signing Expensive Superstars
By Max Wise
Wayne Rooney has advised Manchester United to invest in youth rather than splashing the cash on old experienced superstars.
The Red Devils are in for a busy summer in the transfer market with several first team players heading for the exit after another underwhelming Premier League campaign that ended in a sixth place finish.
Club captain Antonio Valencia and Ander Herrera have already left Old Trafford while Paul Pogba, David de Gea, Alexis Sanchez and Romelu Lukaku face uncertain futures at the club.
Manchester United have already agreed a deal to sign 21-year-old Wales winger, Daniel James, from championship side Swansea City in what will be manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s first signing at the club.
Reports have also emerged recently about United pursuing a loan deal for Real Madrid’s Gareth Bale but the former England captain is against such a move.
Rooney, who is Manchester United’s record goalscorer with 253 goals, believes his old club will be wasting money should they try to sign superstars like Gareth Bale, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
Speaking on BBC Five Live's Sportsweek show, Rooney said: "For Ole, the first thing he's got to do is try and build the squad. I don't think bringing one or two players in for over £100million is going to really help with the squad and with the players who are there.
"I think he needs to try and look at maybe five or six players who have got potential to be top players but you're not spending £120-130m on these players.
"I think you're spending £30-40m and then you're trying to improve them, which will also give you longevity out of the players and allow you to build a squad around the five or six new players who come in plus a few of the players who are still there.
"You could bring three players in - you could bring in Ronaldo, Sergio Ramos and [Lionel] Messi, or Gareth Bale for instance - and it's going to cost you £300-350m.
"You'd get maybe two years out of Ronaldo, a couple of years out of Ramos and then you've written that money off.
"The club needs to rebuild with younger players. But obviously they need to be good enough and allow the managers to improve them."
