Mourinho Gives Rooney Ultimatum To Decide

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has given Wayne Rooney 48 hours to decide whether he wants to leave Manchester United and move to Stamford Bridge.

United say the striker is not for sale and he was outstanding as the sides played out a goalless draw on Monday.

But Rooney, 27, has indicated he wants to leave after being left 'angry and confused' by his role at United.

"One way or another he has to say 'I want to leave' or 'I want to stay'," said Mourinho.

"The person that started the story has to finish the story. For the good of everyone, it is time to finish the story."

Mourinho suggested the 27-year-old striker himself was the catalyst for Chelsea's move saying "he told someone very important in his career" that he wanted to leave United.

Asked how long he was prepared to wait before moving on to other targets - with Anzhi Makhachkala's Cameroon striker Samuel Eto'o understood to be the alternative - Mourinho replied, "Twenty-four hours, 48 hours."

He continued, "If you look at a manager like me, a club like us and the people who work at the club with me, we are not silly enough to try to get a player from a big club that doesn't want to sell.

"We are not silly enough to try something if somebody didn't start it."

He added, "After that, if he wants to leave he has to say - or if he has decided now he doesn't want to leave any more then he has to say."