Manchester United’s great traditions have gone —Moyes

·Chinese clubs offer Rooney  £700, 000 per week

Manchester United’s “great traditions” have “gone”, according to their former boss and current Sunderland manager David Moyes.

The Scot was sacked by United in 2014 – less than a season after being chosen to replace club legend Sir Alex Ferguson.

He said the club had “tended to pick British managers” and never felt the need to impose themselves in the transfer market.

“I can say that’s gone,” added Moyes.

“There have been a few changes at Manchester United but that’s the way they have chosen to go.”

United have spent £480m since Ferguson retired in 2013 after 26 years as manager.

They broke their club record in January 2014 by signing midfielder Juan Mata from Chelsea for £37.1m – a deal done under Moyes, and spent a British record £59.7m on Real Madrid winger Angel Di Maria later that year, after Dutchman Louis van Gaal took over.

In August this year, they gave new boss Jose Mourinho a world record £89m to sign midfielder Paul Pogba from Juventus.

“They were a football club who enjoyed traditions with the way they spent,” said Moyes, who returns to Old Trafford as a manager on Boxing Day, with relegation-threatened Sunderland, for the first time since he was sacked.

Meanwhile, Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney is wanted by big spending Chinese clubs.

The Daily Mirror says the Chinese Super League are desperate to hand Rooney a lifeline, with offers of £700,000-a-week mooted.

Two clubs have their eye on the England captain – Guangzhou Evergrande Taobao and Beijing Guoan.

But Rooney – who has two years remaining on his £300,000-a-week Old Trafford deal – has no intentions to quit the club in January.

He’s desperate to break Sir Bobby Charlton’s all-time scoring record at Manchester United – with the attacker just one goals behind his 249 tally.