Sir Alex Ferguson was clearly shocked when he announced this afternoon that Wayne Rooney wanted to leave Manchester United. But there could be a bigger shock to come. Not only could he cross Manchester to Eastlands, but he could do so for a transfer fee as small as £4.5m.
Sir Alex Ferguson was clearly shocked when he announced this afternoon that Wayne Rooney wanted to leave Manchester United. But there could be a bigger shock to come. Not only could he cross Manchester to Eastlands, but he could do so for a transfer fee as small as £4.5m.
As he has not signed a new contract since November 2006, Rooney could invoke the so-called ‘Webster ruling’. Article 17 of Fifa’s transfer regulations allows a player to quit a club they have served for more than three years if they, or the club buying them, effectively buy out their contract. All that has to be done is to pay a compensation figure related to the sum outstanding on the contract.
However, it may not happen that way because there is an unwritten agreement among members of the European Club Association not to exploit the ruling.
Rooney is reported to have requested a pay rise of 100 per cent to £180,000 a week to stay at Old Trafford. City are believed to be prepared to pay him £200,000 a week, making him the highest paid player in world football.
City – or Sheikh Mansour – can afford to pay that amount but it would make it even more difficult for them to trim their wage bill and hence their losses in order to comply with the new Uefa fair play regulations.
The Webster ruling relates to a former Hearts defender who signed for Wigan. The case was heard by Fifa’s transfer arbitration tribunal, the Dispute Resolution Chamber, and was then appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne.