Wayne Rooney offered unbelievable China deal

CHINESE clubs have set the benchmark for football wages in recent times, but Wayne Rooney could soon blow those out of the water.

Manchester United's English striker Wayne Rooney.

SUPER-RICH Chinese soccer bosses want to make record-breaking Wayne Rooney the best paid footballer in the world by courting him with the offer of a staggering $1.6 million (AUD) a week deal.

The Manchester United captain — who broke the club’s record yesterday scoring his 250th goal — is being lured with a bank-busting package worth up to $98 million a year to try to get him to become a star in the Far East.

Rooney, 31, and his family are happy in Manchester but the sensational Chinese financial offer dwarfs his current $491,000-a-week wages at Old Trafford.

Sources in China say they understand United may not stand in the way of Rooney leaving in the summer, inspiring their efforts to sign him.

Rooney is no longer first choice in the team and cannot ignore the chance to earn untold riches in the Chinese Super League.

He topped the latest rich list for sports stars aged 30 or under with an estimated wealth of $134 million — and the move to China would see him become one of the richest sportsmen in the world.

Manchester United's Wayne Rooney waves a match.

A source in China told The Sun on Sunday: “There is a belief that Rooney might be allowed to leave United this summer, by which time he’ll have spent 13 years at the club and made more than 550 appearances.

“Even though he’ll have one year left on his contract, it’s a good time to go because he is now the top scorer in the club’s history.

“He would probably sign a two-year deal in China and will earn more in that time than he has done during the whole of his United career.

“It will be a big wrench for him and Coleen and their boys because they are very settled in Cheshire and Coleen in particular is very close to her family. The boys are happy at school.

“But they both know a footballer’s career is a short one and it would be silly for Wayne not to maximise his earning potential, especially as he’s approaching the latter stages of his career.”

Rooney has previously stated he would never play for another Premier League club — despite long being linked with an emotional move back to his boyhood team Everton FC.

Last year he said: “I am happy to say now that, whatever may happen in the future, I will never play for another Premier League club.”

Rooney, who is already sponsored by companies including Nike and Samsung, is also likely to be able to earn millions more on top of his salary through major advertising deals.

United have previously claimed to have had 108 million followers in China — which equates to eight per cent of the population — meaning Rooney is already a big name there.

In November Beijing Guoan honorary chairman Luo Ning said Rooney had turned down the chance to join the club.

Mr Ning said: “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.

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

CSL club Guangzhou Evergrande Taobao — the richest club in China — is also believed to have Rooney in its sights.

Rooney could be China bound.

But The Sun on Sunday has been told by sources in China that a new mega offer of more than $1.6 million AUD a week basic salary is about to be made to him.

The source added: “Wayne loves playing for United and has pretty much achieved everything in the game.

“But he knows the time comes for everyone to leave so he’s asked his team to consider what options he has.

“And China is becoming more and more of a draw for a lot of top class players thanks to the money on offer.”

Rooney may want to act quick after last week the Chinese government announced a crackdown on spiralling salaries.

All Chinese clubs will be restricted to having three foreigners in the team and must field at least one Chinese player under the age of 23.

Several former Premier League stars have already moved to China and earlier this week Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger admitted European clubs cannot match the wages on offer in the Far East.

Chelsea star striker Diego Costa was unsettled after Tanjin Quinjian offered him $943,000-a-week to sign for them.

And before Christmas former United and Manchester City striker Carlos Tevez signed for

Shanghai Shenhua for an incredible $1.07 million AUD per week.

Former Chelsea star Oscar.

Brazilian and Chelsea ace Oscar also left Stamford Bridge earlier this season for Shanghai SIPG in a $85.1 million deal which sees him pocket $600,000 a week.

His former Chelsea teammate Ramires also left London to play for Jiangsu Suning after they bid $40.9 million and offered him $320,000-a-week.

Ex-Southampton striker Graziano Pelle is on wages of a staggering $425,000-a-week, more than five times the money he had been on at St Mary’s, after signing for Shandong Luneng in a $19.6 million deal.

And The Sun revealed last week that Real Madrid president Florentino Perez is considering selling Rooney’s former teammate Cristiano Ronaldo before his $597,000-a-week contract runs out.

Ronaldo’s agent revealed before Christmas that a Chinese club offered Madrid $42.5 million for the player — and annual wages of around $131 million.

The figures on offer to Ronaldo from China provoked a furious response from Chelsea boss Antonio Conte.

He said: “I don’t want to believe in this. Because, I think, we are talking about an amount of money which is not right.

“I saw the last contract, the last contract with Carlos Tevez. I think we are talking about a lot of money. This type of offer is incredible and it’s very difficult for the players to say ‘no’.

“But I must be honest, I think it’s not right. It’s not right, this.

“Because you must have respect for the money and then if there are these offers, this type of offer ... but I don’t agree, I don’t agree with this situation.”