Reports from the Guardian claim that in the next 48-72 hours, Wayne Rooney is expected to agree to a contract extension with Manchester United that will see him through the end of the 2018-19 season.
The contract is expected to be in the range of $500,000 (£300K) per week, meaning Rooney will remain the highest salaried player in the Barclays Premier League. While salary specifics vary with the Guardian believes Rooney’s current deal consists of a basic salary of $417K (£250K) per week and that incentives push it towards the $500K (£300K) mark.
United has been hell-bent on locking Rooney into a deal since last summer when Chelsea noted their interest in the England international. Despite that interest and United’s league struggles, Rooney is understood to be happy at Old Trafford working under the tutelage of David Moyes.
In addition to Rooney being tipped to replace the departing Nemanja Vidic as United skipper, the striker also recently spoke of his desire to break Sir Bobby Charlton’s record of 249 goals for the Red Devils.
“It is a great aim for myself to try and get Sir Bobby’s record, both at club and international level,” said Rooney, who’s goal total stands at 208. “It is something which I would like to do. If I can do that I would be really proud because it has stood for a long time.”
With Rooney set to sign the new record-setting deal, questions continue to surround Robin van Persie’s future at the club. The Dutch striker, who’s $417K (£250K) per week deal with the club ends in 2016, has been rumored to be in line for a return to Arsenal — speculation that only gains momentum as United chooses to reinvest a large portion of its funds in Rooney.
