Rooney rejected summer move to Chinese Super League

Beijing Guoan honorary chairman Luo Ning has revealed an approach, and talks with the Manchester United captain’s agent, was made during the summer, only to be dismissed

Wayne Rooney rejected a move to Chinese Super League outfit Beijing Guoan during the summer, the club’s honorary chairman has revealed.

The Manchester United captain lost his starting berth in Jose Mourinho’s first team this season following a string of below-par performances but returned for the 3-1 win over Swansea City on Sunday in which he notched two assists.

Beijing Guoan approached Rooney – who reportedly earns in excess of £300,000 a week on a contract which runs until 2019 – before the start of the new campaign, only to be swiftly rejected.

The 31-year-old aims to continue playing in England’s top flight for the foreseeable future, with Mourinho recently ruling out an Old Trafford exit for his skipper, and now Luo Ning of Beijing Guoan has confirmed a summer move was dismissed.

“We indeed made an approach for Rooney at the beginning of the season but he’s informed us that he wants to stay in Manchester United,” Luo Ning told a Bejing sports radio show.

“Rooney says he’ll keep playing in the Premier League as long as his health allows. We even met with his agent [Paul Stratford].”

Rooney is currently on international duty with England, where he is expected to captain his country in Friday’s World Cup qualifier against Scotland.