Where will Rooney end up?

"Manchester United's Wayne Rooney has told manager Alex Ferguson that he wants to leave the Premier League club - but where might he end up?

While Ferguson is still hopeful that his key striker will stay, the news is likely to spark a scramble for him during the January transfer window.
Following are some clubs who may be interested in bringing Rooney in:


REAL MADRID

The nine-times European champions would certainly be able to find the money should they decide to compete for Rooney's signature but club president Florentino Perez is known to be wary of players with problems in their private life.
Real signed Cristiano Ronaldo from Manchester United as part of a massive investment programme last year and new coach Jose Mourinho may be tempted to renew an attacking partnership that carried United to two Champions League finals.
On the other hand, Real do not really need a new striker, with Ronaldo, Gonzalo Higuain and Mesut Ozil in their ranks.
"We have two marvellous players up front (Ronaldo and Higuain) and they proved they were able to score 60 goals between them last season," Real general director Jorge Valdano told Spanish television on Monday.


MANCHESTER CITY

Owner Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al-Nahyan has spent more than £300 million since taking charge of the club and much of this has gone on bringing in forwards, including Carlos Tevez, Emmanuel Adebayor, Roque Santa Cruz and Mario Balotelli.

They have still not managed to bring in a true marquee name, however, after the failure to sign Kaka from AC Milan in 2009.

City have a geographical advantage over other potential suitors as a move to United's neighbours would allow the striker to stay rooted in north-west England.

The question remains whether Rooney would want to move to United's fierce local rivals. Only a move to Liverpool would generate more bad feeling than that.


CHELSEA

Free-scoring Chelsea are not in any immediate need of a striker with Didier Drogba, the Premier League's top scorer last season, and Nicolas Anelka among the players at their disposal.

The sort of wages Rooney would command may also be an obstacle to owner Roman Abramovich who has tightened the purse strings in recent seasons.

Players of Rooney's calibre, however, do not become available that often and the Russian billionaire may think he would be a worthwhile investment given Drogba is now aged 32.

Another plus point is that Rooney's transfer fee may be relatively low given his United contract is due to expire in June 2012.

"He has some problems at the moment but right now he is still a Man United player," manager Carlo Ancelotti said of Rooney.

"If you want to know what players Chelsea want to buy and how much money they want to spend you should ask Roman."


BARCELONA

The Catalan club recently signed David Villa, but since the departure of Zlatan Ibrahimovic to AC Milan, they have lacked a player with Rooney's physical attributes.

The strikers they have in reserve, such as Bojan Krkic and Pedro, fit neatly into their intricate passing game, but arguably do not give them a reliable plan B.

Barcelona have a nucleus of homegrown players and a regular place in the team may not even be a given but the challenge would surely appeal to any player of Rooney's quality, even if he has never expressed much of an interest in playing abroad.


INTERNAZIONALE

European champions Internazionale are in need of a forward having looked threadbare up front after selling Balotelli to Manchester City.

Rooney might fit their three-pronged attack as a central striker or more likely out wide given red-hot Samuel Eto'o and last year's treble hero Diego Milito are also at the San Siro.

Inter president Massimo Moratti has said he will probably buy in January but Rooney's name has never been mentioned and Moratti has his heart set on one day tempting Lionel Messi from Barcelona.

The other question would be whether the presence of Rafa Benitez, former coach of Liverpool, would appeal to Rooney, who came through at their neighbours Everton before moving to their arch-rivals United."