5. Wayne Rooney
His recent injury aside, Rooney has been a step off the pace most of the year for United. At 30 years of age it seems that his best football is behind him. He can still be a useful member of the United squad, but they can’t rely on him to start every week.
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It’s not as if Rooney has been a bad player this season. Seven goals in 22 Premier League appearances is a decent return for a player. He just lacks the athleticism to be a dynamic centerpiece to the United attack at this point in his career.
If United are going to be a factor in the Champions League, they will need to purchase a world-class number nine. Someone like Gonzalo Higuain or Edinson Cavani could fill the role quite nicely.
An acquisition of a forward of that caliber would allow United to deploy Rooney more judiciously. If he’s allowed to play less matches it’s quite likely that his performance when he does play will jump considerably. It’s not out of the question that he could be a high impact sub for the club as well.
Wayne Rooney will still be a valuable member of the Manchester United squad next season, it just shouldn’t be as a first-choice strike for number ten. Those roles are too critical to entrust to a man whose skills are starting to diminish some significantly with age.
Next: 4. Michael Carrick