Wayne Rooney shuts down DC United’s Luis Suarez transfer hope with withering assessment

New DC United boss Wayne Rooney has said he will not be approaching Luis Suarez about a free-transfer move to the MLS club.

Rooney flew out to the US earlier in the week and was unveiled as the new DC coach on Tuesday. It’s just over two weeks since Rooney called time on his spell at troubled Derby County.

The former Manchester United boss has swapped the boardroom hassle at Pride Park for a destination he knows well from playing in Washington for two years between 2018 to 2020.

Already the 36-year-old is looking at his existing squad and has quickly blocked any potential move for former Liverpool star Suarez.

The Uruguay international claimed earlier this week to have “five or six offers” from unnamed MLS teams. The 35-year-old striker is currently a free agent after leaving Atletico Madrid after a two-year spell.

It’s unclear whether DC had thrown their hat into the ring for the veteran striker. But if they did, Rooney has put any hope they had of landing him firmly in the bin.

“I respect Luis Suarez a lot – he’s an incredible player – but what I want players who are hungry,” Rooney said in a press conference.

“I want players to come to this club who are hungry and who want to come to the club but also have a lot to give and are capable of playing every game, attending every training session.

“So we’re working extremely hard to identify the right profile of players we want to bring in and I’m sure in the near future, we’ll have an announcement to make on new signings.”

Suarez: MLS market ‘very complex’

Suarez, who saw his form drop off at Atletico last season, has acknowledged that a move stateside is complicated.

He told Radio Sport 890, via mlssoccer: “The market in MLS is very complex, some clubs want you but they don’t have the slots, and so it would have to be for January. Other clubs want you now but I have to evaluate if they have a chance to qualify for the playoffs.

“I’m not closing the door to anyone and I’ve listened to all the offers, but if some MLS teams don’t qualify for the playoffs, they end their season in the first week of October, and that’s not useful for me because I would stop for a month ahead of the World Cup, which wouldn’t be good for me.”

Suarez blasted 21 goals in 38 games for Atletico in 2020/21 as they won the LaLiga title. But he managed just 13 goals from 45 games last season, although he started just 26 league and cup games.