Rooney for Luiz or Mata? Chelsea deny swap claims

LONDON — The battle for Wayne Rooney descended into acrimony last night after Chelsea lodged an official bid for the forward with Manchester United but angrily denied claims that they had offered Juan Mata and David Luiz as part of the deal.

Chelsea’s cash-only offer of £20 million (S$38.3 million) has been rejected but manager Jose Mourinho made it clear that he still thinks an agreement can be reached.

Asked if Chelsea would bid for any other player, Mourinho said: “No, and we won’t.”

He then confirmed that, in his mind, it was now “Rooney or bust” for Chelsea during this transfer window. Those comments, after Chelsea’s 1-0 win against Singha All-Stars in Bangkok, came amid a day of claim and counter-claim.

In a statement issued just an hour before Mourinho’s first game as manger, Chelsea admitted that they had tabled a written offer for the England striker. There was fury, however, at claims that the proposed deal was Luiz or Mata plus £10 million.

Chelsea suspected that the details were briefed by Manchester United officials in Sydney and were adamant that the two players, who are not on the club’s pre-season tour of Asia and have yet to meet Mourinho, would not be leaving.

“Although the terms of the offer are confidential, for the avoidance of doubt and contrary to what is apparently being briefed to the press in Sydney, the proposed purchase price does not include the transfer or loan of any players from Chelsea to Manchester United,” said a club spokesman.

Mourinho, who claimed yesterday that there was no Plan B should he fail to bring Rooney to Stamford Bridge, is certain to have irritated United over the past week by publicly disclosing his admiration for Rooney and Chelsea insiders believe that the Luiz-Mata link could be some form of retaliation.

There was further intrigue last night when United chief executive Ed Woodward decided to fly back to Europe from the club’s pre-season tour of Sydney to conduct “urgent transfer business”.

His return relates primarily to United’s pursuit of Barcelona midfielder Cesc Fabregas but it is expected that he will also address the Rooney situation. The striker is not in Sydney with United but certainly seems to be agitating for a move after letting it be known on Tuesday that he is “angry and confused” by the suggestion from manager David Moyes that he is second choice to Robin van Persie.

Further talks are expected between United and Rooney’s agent, Paul Stretford, although the club’s public position remains that Rooney is not for sale. Woodward may still return for the Hong Kong leg of the United tour on July   28, giving him more than a week to work on transfer issues. THE DAILY TELEGRAPH