Wayne Rooney believes players would now prefer to join Newcastle United rather than Manchester United due to Champions League football.
Newcastle United have made huge strides over the past two seasons. Champions League football has become a powerful tool for the Magpies. It already helped Newcastle sign players like Sandro Tonali last summer. And now, another statement has come from one of Manchester United’s greatest ever players.
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The Magpies are fighting hard to secure another top-five finish this season. Eddie Howe’s side is well placed to qualify for the Champions League once again. Meanwhile, Manchester United’s own European hopes are hanging by a thread, with Europa League success being their only realistic route.
Man United legend Wayne Rooney backs Newcastle to attract top signings
Speaking on The Overlap Fan Debate on YouTube, Wayne Rooney gave a brutal assessment of Manchester United’s current situation. The Manchester United legend did not hold back while discussing how modern players view the Red Devils compared to rising forces like Newcastle United. Rooney said,
"For Manchester United over the next few years, they need to attract players to the football club. When you are losing games of football and you are relying on the Europa League to get into the Champions League… if Manchester United do not win that, if I put my player’s hat on, I would have second thoughts."
The former England captain continued;
"If I’m a player now and Manchester United came in for me, I’m thinking, ‘the manager hasn’t done great, they’re losing games, how do I see this moving forwards’. Then you have teams like Aston Villa and Newcastle who are coming up and challenging. That would be my concern."
Newcastle’s European ambitions clear for all to see
It is not the first time Newcastle United’s rapid rise has been recognised by major names in football. With Premier League giants like Manchester United now facing battles to stay relevant, Newcastle’s consistency and structure make them a far more attractive proposition for many top players.
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Champions League football was key to signing Sandro Tonali last year. It could again be the decisive factor this summer. If Newcastle continue to perform at this level, more big names will pick Tyneside over Old Trafford – something that would have seemed unthinkable just a few years ago.
We will keep a close eye on this Newcastle transfer news as the race for European football intensifies.