Charlton retains Rooney hope

Bobby Charlton still hopes Wayne Rooney eclipses his Manchester United scoring record despite the striker again hankering after a move away from Old Trafford.

Rooney requires 52 to catch Charlton’s 249 United goals and is just three off becoming only the fourth player in their history to reach the double century.

In addition to Charlton, that would put him in the company of Denis Law and wartime marksman Jack Rowley.

Yet the prospect of Rooney even achieving the latter feat look slim given his present stand-off with the Red Devils.

United insist the 27-year-old is not for sale, a stance set to be tested again by Chelsea before the transfer window closes on September 2.

And Charlton hopes the present impasse is resolved before then.

“Wayne Rooney is a Manchester United player and I think that he will continue to be a Manchester United player,” said Charlton.

“We are not silly enough to make any rash decisions.

“I don’t like losing really good players and he is a really, really good player.

“I was hoping one day that he might score as many goals as I had and that would have been really nice if it was at our club. I’m still thinking that way.”

Currently sidelined by a hamstring injury that saw him sent home from the five-match pre-season tour of the Far East and Australia that ends in Hong Kong today, Rooney will surely not be sold until United have strengthened their own squad.

That is proving somewhat troublesome as there have still been no additions despite the return to Europe of executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward on “urgent transfer business” on July 18.

Barcelona have continued to insist Moyes’ major target Cesc Fabregas is staying where he is, leaving United to ponder the wisdom of a third bid.

“I never at any time said I knew we would get him,” said Moyes. “I just said we had made offers. They have been rejected.

“We will take stock of the situation and decide where we go from there.”

It would not seem a switch of target is imminent, even if it is an option, having been linked so often with Marouane Fellaini, a player Moyes knows so well from Everton.

Certainly the United camp anticipate additions before the transfer window closes on September 2. “I am confident we will have players in before then,” Moyes said.

Moyes also rejected talk of a feud with Chelsea counterpart Jose Mourinho.

When both clubs were in Bangkok at the start of their respective pre-season tours of the Far East Mourinho, while claiming discussion of other club’s players was supposed to be off limits, insisted he could not be a “hypocrite” and admitted he liked Rooney.

This was taken to be the start of a mind games battle between Mourinho and Moyes, which the United boss seemed to endorse when he said “bring it on” after his club had beaten the A League All Stars in Sydney the following week.

Yet Moyes insists there is no conflict between the pair, beyond what normally exists between competing managers.

Instead, the Scot has declared his admiration for Mourinho, in much the same way as Chelsea’s manager spoke positively of Moyes last week.

“Jose Mourinho is a tremendous manager,” said Moyes. “He has done really well in the Premier League.

“Like me, he started doing his coaching badges in Scotland and whilst I wouldn’t say I know him that well, I do know him.”

Indeed, Moyes’ admiration for the charismatic Portuguese extended to offering his sympathies after Mourinho’s exit from Chelsea in 2008.

“I remember when he lost his job I wrote him a letter,” he said.

“So, for people to say there is any feud is wrong.

“Of course, you are going to find two really competitive managers. When our teams play we will both be highly committed to make sure our clubs win.

“But I admire him for how well he has done as a manager.”