Rooney is Moyes's top priority

On the way out? ... David Moyes has a fight on his hands to keep Wayne Rooney. Source: Paul Ellis / AFP

One of the most pressing items in David Moyes' in-tray when he takes over as Manchester United manager on July 1 will be what to do with Wayne Rooney.

United insisted on Wednesday the England striker was not for sale, but a person familiar with the situation said Rooney held talks with manager Alex Ferguson in recent weeks and indicated he wanted to leave.

Those discussions took place before Ferguson announced he was retiring at the end of the season.

It's the second time Rooney has asked to quit United, having backed down from a transfer request in 2010 after negotiating a new and improved contract.

Rooney fuelled further speculation overnight by removing the term "Manchester United player" from his Twitter page and replaced it with "NikeUK athlete"

At the time Rooney was widely considered among the world's top strikers. Now, he is no longer the No.1 choice at United, slipping behind Robin van Persie in the list of strikers at Old Trafford this season and often playing in central midfield.

Now that Moyes has replaced Ferguson, the situation becomes even more delicate.

It was Moyes who reluctantly sold Rooney to United in 2004 and then launched successful legal action against the striker over allegations in Rooney's autobiography that the Scot leaked details of a private conversation to the media about the factors behind Rooney's move from Everton.

The pair appear to be back on good terms but it won't stop the speculation.

Rooney is reportedly being pursued by Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain - two of Europe's top sides - but could see Moyes' arrival as a chance to revive his time at United.

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Financial health Gunners' priority

Profits ... Arsene Wenger is under pressure to secure trophies. Source: Glyn Kirk / AFP

Arsene Wenger will face renewed calls to splash out on new signings after Arsenal announced a pre-tax profit of £17.8 million ($A26.23 million) in their half-yearly financial results on Monday.

Wenger has been criticised repeatedly in recent years for failing to spend big money on new players while Arsenal's results on the field continue to suffer.

The Barclays Premier League club's latest healthy financial report, to the end of November 2012, will only add to the pressure on the Gunners' boss to loosen the purse strings after eight years without a trophy and embarrassing exits from the FA and League Cups against lower league opposition this season.

The profit, down on £49.5 million ($A72.95 million) for 2011 and achieved by the £24 million ($A35.37 million) sale of Robin van Persie to Manchester United, accompanies an increased figure of £123.3 million ($A181.71 million) in cash reserves.

The Arsenal Supporters' Trust (AST) claimed the figures highlight the need for the club to spend more money on the team.

"Arsenal fans have contributed to this financial health through paying some of the highest ticket prices in world football. AST members want to see this money used for more, and better, investment in the team,'' an AST spokesman said.

However, rather than promise to break the bank of star players, Arsenal chairman Peter Hill-Wood insisted financial stability was the foundation of their regular presence in the Premier League's top four and the Champions League.

"Our desire is to make everyone connected with Arsenal proud of the club. We know that comes through winning trophies but also through the way we do things and that will remain our constant guide,'' Hill-Wood said.

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