Should Wayne Rooney Leave United?

For me personally as a United fan, this is such a difficult question. Since Ronaldo left, and even before Ronaldo became a star, Rooney has been the man that has led this club. For years the first name everyone has looked for on the United (and England) team sheet has been Wayne.
Whenever he is missing from that sheet the opposition gain a huge boost of confidence and you can almost feel the air of invincibility leave the Manchester team. It is not just his undoubted goal scoring ability, but his presence on the pitch, his work rate, his chasing back and defending from set pieces. In the past he has been criticised for having a temper and for not having enough discipline, but finally he would appear to have that under control and he is approaching an age at which he should be hitting his peak, not leaving one of the biggest teams in the world.
And yet, for all that he brings to the team, to the fans, to the club in general, there finally seems to be a bit of a feeling around Old Trafford that maybe, just maybe, it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world for him to leave. Particularly if the money from the deal (almost certainly 30+ million pounds) was used to fund either the return of the great Ronaldo, or to fund the acquisition of the immensely talented Gareth Bale. But Bale seems set to stay at Spurs for another season, and the Ronaldo coming home story may well just be a fanciful dream, so where does that leave Wayne and United. Last season, the indomitable Van Persie seems to have replaced Rooney as a fans favourite, although in an injury hit season, his performances seem to indicate he has more to give still. In particular, the fact that he is spearheading the club’s kit release for next season certainly indicates that they believe he will stay.
I think the first thing to identify is whether or not his relationship with Moyes has been repaired since they had a legal dispute a few years ago. If it is, and David Moyes believes he can extract the best out of the incredibly gifted striker, then Rooney staying is far more likely, but if the relationship isn’t back to what it once was, then Rooney leaving and the new United manager bringing in a star to replace him seems like a much better idea than having an unhappy Rooney who won’t be at his best.
But from a fans point of view, with Robin Van Persie getting into his thirties now, Welbeck not quite proving to be the replacement in waiting, and Hernandez being more of a finisher than a creator and leader, the departure of Wayne would leave us looking a bit short in the striking department. Although if all the reports and hype about the young Angelo Henriquez are true, it may not be too long before we have a replacement for the England man. Having said that, the choice of system for Moyes may change his mind on whether to stay or go, as if there is only 1 striker, Van Persie is the clear choice at the moment, and I would play Kagawa in his favoured position in behind him, where he was so devastatingly effective for Dortmund before his move to the English giants. This doesn’t leave a place for Wayne Rooney though, as he found out against Madrid.
So for me personally, at the moment I would prefer Wayne Rooney to stay at Old Trafford, look at this as a new challenge, rise to the occasion and make himself indispensable in the new regime. But if he were to leave, he must surely go abroad and there must be a stellar replacement lined up, which for me can only be Bale or Ronaldo to be satisfactory. Rooney was once, and can be again, the best player in the Premier League, and we must remember that. Let us just hope Moyes has a clear idea in his mind of what he wants and this gets sorted quickly.
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