One of the biggest transfer stories which has captivated fans up and down the country is that of England star Wayne Rooney.  The Manchester United forward has endured a gossip-filled month where speculation has been rife as to his future in the Premier League, or even abroad.

This came to a head however on Tuesday evening, when it began to filter through that Chelsea had made an offer of £10million and midfielder Juan Mata to Manchester United to acquire Rooney’s services. Moyes, who reiterated the fact that the Englishman was still part of United’s set up, rejected the offer, but was this a smart move on his part?

Moyes has been quoted in various publications saying that Rooney is needed at Manchester United merely as cover for Robin van Persie, the Red Devils’ attacker who shone over last season's campaign. These comments have deeply hurt the strike, who was already finding his relationship with the United camp strained, and with his morale as low as it could possibly be, how can Moyes justify rejecting this bid?

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Granted it must be tough for him to walk in, replacing the great that is Sir Alex Fergusson. However, there are some big decisions he needs to be making, and forcing a player who no longer wants to be part of the squad, and who you have told is no more than a replacement certainly seems like it should be an easy one.

Juan Mata proved to the world last season that his talent may have been under appreciated, and having contributed 17 goals, and 22 assists in all competitions over the most recent campaign, he is more than capable of becoming a key influence on whether a team is able to challenge for the title. It therefore seems like Moyes’ decision to turn this offer down of Mata, alongside £10m extra to add to the transfer kitty was indeed a crazy choice.

This is even more apparent if it is true that Moyes would only require Rooney as a substitute for van Persie. Rooney, who is one of the highest paid players at Old Trafford, if sold could easily pave the way for another signing who is as capable as the unhappy Englishman. This alongside Mata would prove to be a strong Red Devils squad, and keep them as a team more than capable of retaining their Premier League title.

However, maybe Moyes has been smart with his policy. It must be said that both clubs did deny there was any player involved in the transfer offer, which was made on Tuesday, and if this was the case then perhaps the actual value proposed by Mourinho was not enough to tempt Moyes. It has emerged that the Portuguese boss is only interested in bringing one signing to Stamford Bridge this summer, and that is Rooney. If this speculation is true, then Moyes may well be holding out for a larger fee to be placed on Rooney’s head, and only then may he may decide to offload the disgruntled striker.

More importantly perhaps, could be the fact that if Moyes was to sell Rooney to title-chasing rivals Chelsea, there is a chance he could well spoil United's Premier League bid. If the Englishman went on to score the winning goals against them, or even the goals to win the Blues the title, it would be hard to forgive the Scot who has just taken the reins at Old Trafford. There is no doubting that Rooney is still more than capable of acting as a striker for a team vying for Premier League glory, and therefore selling him on to domestic rivals could prove to be detrimental to Moyes’ own title bid.

It is a hard situation for Moyes to become tangled in, and is clearly his first true test as manager of debatably the most famous club in Britain, perhaps the world. However, he certainly didn’t help himself with his comments on Rooney with regards to his place in the team. If that is the way the former Everton manager truly feels, it does seem strange to have rejected a deal which would have brought in a sensational Spanish talent, alongside a healthy bonus to the transfer fund. An unhappy player sitting on the bench will not be as enthusiastic about being involved when he is used by Moyes, than perhaps another new signing who offers the same kind of ability as Rooney does.

I can see why Moyes may have decided it was wise to hold on to Rooney, and im sure many people agree he made the right decision. However, with the alleged £10m fee alongside the talent of Juan Mata being offered to the Scottish manager, he should have taken this wonderful opportunity and moved on.

Rooney is clearly not happy at Old Trafford, some fans are beginning to turn on him and both of these factors will impact on his future performances for the Red Devils. While it may have seemed like a drastic decision to make, having only just taken control of the Premier League champions, it was one that may well have paid off.

Should Moyes cut his losses on Rooney?

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