Rooney, 31, has been linked with a possible move to China having become an increasingly peripheral figure for Jose Mourinho's side, with sources telling ESPN FC on Thursday that his agent, Paul Stretford, had travelled there in part to do "due diligence" over potential destinations. However, the United captain ruled out an exit on Thursday, saying he wants to stay at Old Trafford.

And as much as MLS wants to move away from attracting ageing stars -- with Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and Andrea Pirlo all arriving from Europe in recent years -- the reality is there is still a market in the league for a player with the star power of Rooney.

The source who confirmed interest to ESPN FC added there haven't been any recent talks to sign the England captain.

Wayne Rooney has not played for Manchester United since a substitute appearance vs. Hull on Feb. 1.

However, the market for Rooney is not as wide open as it was a few years ago. The trend league-wide is toward younger, more mobile players.

A few teams would even be in the running to acquire a player of Rooney's stature, though Los Angeles FC, which is set to begin play in 2018, is on record as being interested.

If Rooney comes to North America, he will certainly draw fans, though it will only reinforce the perception that MLS is a retirement league, especially as the recent track record of English stars coming to MLS isn't encouraging.

Lampard struggled with injuries during parts of his two seasons with New York City FC, while Gerrard never lived up to his $6 million salary with the LA Galaxy.

While Rooney's physical decline has been evident in recent years, meaning any potential move across the Atlantic would in no small part be down to his attitude and ability to adapt -- as former league MVP Robbie Keane did so successfully.