I learned alarming plan Chelsea had for me if I joined - I signed for Man Utd instead

Premier League legend Wayne Rooney has opened up on a proposed deal which could have seen him join Chelsea - and why he chose to turn it down.

Wayne Rooney has that revealed he almost joined Chelsea as a youngster - but he, ultimately, chose Manchester United after learning the Blues' plan for him.

Despite being born in Liverpool and starting his career at Everton, Rooney would go on to really make his mark at Old Trafford. He's the Premier League's third-highest goal-scorer with 208 to his name.

However, the now-40-year-old's career could have taken a very different path if he had opted for a different club Speaking to NBC Sports, Rooney admitted that a move to west London was closer than many realised.

He said: "Everton wanted to sell me to Chelsea, and then Chelsea wanted to send me on loan to Middlesbrough, but I had no intention of signing for Chelsea."

Rooney was arguably the most sought-after young talent in England at the time. Everton were willing to offer him the most lucrative contract in the club’s history - £50,000 per-week.

Newcastle were also keen and even saw a £20million bid rejected, with David Moyes insisting he wouldn't let the striker leave unless the club received a worthwhile fee.

That figure was eventually matched by Man Utd, who offered £20m plus £7m in add-ons. Paying £27m for an 18-year-old was almost unheard of in the early 2000s.

In terms of Rooney's own preferences, it's easy to understand why he rejected Chelsea. The plan to send him on loan to a mid-table Middlesbrough side made little sense for a rising superstar.

The season before Chelsea made their move, they had a wealth of attacking options. Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, Eidur Gudjohnsen, Hernan Crespo and Adrian Mutu were all available to Claudio Ranieri.

In hindsight, Chelsea may regret not sealing a deal for Rooney, but the striker they signed instead wasn't a bad alternative - Didier Drogba.

Chelsea paid £24m to bring Drogba to Stamford Bridge, making him both the club's record signing, at the time - and the most expensive striker in English football at the time.

The Ivory Coast hero went on to win four Premier League titles, four FA Cups and an unforgettable Champions League trophy, among numerous domestic honours.

Individually, Drogba claimed two Golden Boots and he was also inducted into the Premier League Hall of Fame in 2022, the same year as Rooney.

Chelsea's most-recent Hall of Fame inductee is Eden Hazard - who was included this year. John Terry, Ashley Cole, Petr Cech and Frank Lampard are also included.

The current Chelsea squad will hope to carve out their own place in the club's history this season as they aim to chase down Arsenal at the summit - with those sides due to play each other on Sunday afternoon.