Wayne Rooney will dictate his departure from Manchester United with China his likely destination in the summer.
The 31-year-old's agent Paul Stretford was in China on Wednesday night to hold talks with Super League clubs Beijing Guoan, Tianjian Quanjian and Jiangsu Suning who are attempting to sign Rooney before the close of their transfer window on Tuesday but the prospect of a sale now remains unlikely.
Stretford flew from Manchester to Brussels before taking a connecting flight to Beijing where he has met suitors hoping to push through a record-breaking deal before February 28.
However, United insiders maintain they do not expect what they consider a complicated transfer to be completed in the next few days.