Manchester United have now reportedly received a boost in their potential efforts to sign an England international at the end of the season.
Rooney discusses Man Utd's decline
The Red Devils have made a disappointing start to the season, although victory away to Brentford on Saturday lunchtime would be a big step in the right direction, having won at home to Chelsea last weekend.
Ruben Amorim is trying to mastermind United's return to the top of English football, and opening up to former teammate Rio Ferdinand, attacking legend Wayne Rooney has discussed when he felt the club was declining after decades of glory.
"I think that question I asked then, in 2010, it still hasn’t been answered, been addressed, from 2010. And I think fans have seen… I don’t think, if fans look back, they’d be like, you know what, he actually seen what was coming a little bit. And I don’t think it’s been fixed since 2010.
TV pundit and former player Wayne Rooney before the match
"We obviously won the league in 2013, but lots changed, obviously. Commercially, social media, everything changed. But I still think when we lost Ronaldo and Tevez, from that moment, we got Robin in, obviously, for a couple years, but from that moment the club has never had a group of forwards like that."
Top-quality new signings will aid United in their quest to bring back the glory days, and a positive update has emerged regarding one transfer target.
Man Utd boosted in pursuit of England international
Speaking to The United Stand [via The Peoples Person], journalist Ben Jacobs claimed that Manchester United target Adam Wharton has a "gentlemen's agreement" to leave Crystal Palace next season.
"My understanding with Wharton is there’s kind of a gentleman’s agreement in place allowing him to leave Crystal Palace next summer, so that’s clearly going to be one to watch.
adam wharton
"At this stage it is simply wait and see; you’re not going to get the answers to January this early, but there is concrete possibility that if the right name becomes available, Manchester United will add a senior midfielder this season, and as I said before, it could be two midfielders.
"There’s other names that could be available mid-season if Manchester United have the funds from potentially a Kobbie Mainoo exit; we’ll have to wait and see what transpires."
The £100m-rated Wharton is exactly the type of player United used to sign with relative ease, in terms of being a highly-rated young homegrown player with a massive future.
The 21-year-old is a fantastic prospect, playing with so much maturity in front of the defence, possessing technical quality, but also a strong defensive brain.
Former Palace teammate Eberechi Eze has hailed Wharton as an "incredible" player and United should be viewing him as the perfect long-term replacement for Casemiro.