PSG offer to match Rooney’s United wages

London: Paris Saint-Germain have informed Wayne Rooney’s representatives they would be willing to match his current wages as they seek to convince the unsettled England striker to leave Manchester United for Parc des Princes.

Rooney’s future at Old Trafford has been in serious doubt since Sir Alex Ferguson, speaking immediately after his final home game in charge, suggested the forward had asked for a transfer after nine years with United. The incoming manager, David Moyes, is understood to want to retain the 27-year-old’s services, but the player may now consider his relationship with the club and the supporters to be fractured beyond repair.

PSG, who are braced to lose their title-winning manager Carlo Ancelotti to Real Madrid and will consider Rafael Benitez as a replacement, have sensed an opportunity to secure the England international and hope to pair him up front with Sweden’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic next season.

The French champions, who are backed by the money-flushed Qatar Investment Authority, made their interest in securing the player known last week and have indicated they would be prepared to match his salary.

Rooney, whose wife Coleen gave birth to the couple’s second boy, Klay Anthony, on Tuesday, is reluctant to transfer abroad, given his young family, and would need to be convinced of the overall quality of Ligue 1. But a move to Paris remains a possibility given the lack of other options on the table.

PSG have prioritised the Englishman over Napoli’s Edinson Cavani, who is a long-standing target for Manchester City, and believe he can still be persuaded to leave for France. Arsenal have also been mooted as a potential destination within the Premier League, though it seems unlikely they would be prepared to stretch to the player’s financial demands. Neither City nor Chelsea are inclined, at present, to revive interest in the striker.

— Guardian News and Media 2013