Arsene Wenger, Arsenal
"It shows you how fragile the position of any club is at the moment, considering the length of contracts of players. When the players reach two years before the end of the contract , if you want to keep the value of it, you have to extend it or he will go for nothing in the end. The system is inflationary."
Alex McLeish, Birmingham City
"I was amazed at Wayne wanting to leave. [Player power] has been bubbling under for a long time, and it's come to the surface over the last few years. I've seen stories of Dutch players getting together and even publicly speaking about having a meeting about the manager's future. And that's the players!"
Ian Holloway, Blackpool
"I've got big problems with the people who are running football. I know the reasons I not have a Bosman ruling they've got at the moment.
"Manchester United have helped Wayne Rooney's career massively on and off the field. The manager, the club itself has invested in him. They bought him for massive amounts of money as a young man and they're helping him blossom into the player that he is.
"He's one of the best centre-forwards in the world. And if he sees his contract out he's going to be able to walk out of there for nothing. That's the people at the very top of the game's fault.
"Our rules were brilliant. If he was offered the same amount of money again, they could hold his registration and someone would have to pay the fair amount of money for him.
"Just because you're 24, what on earth has that got to do with it? It's just ludicrous. They have the power to change this straight away.
"What if he sits there for 18 months, throws tantrums, doesn't try, doesn't play, and someone's already said to him: 'We'll take you and we'll pay you some of that money we should have paid Manchester United because you can walk out on a free'?
"Do you want to sign a person like that? Do you want to play for a club that says that to you? How do we know it hasn't already happened? The game is wrong. The people in charge of the game are wrong. They are so wrong this is frightening.
"If Alex Ferguson is being bullied by a player and his agent, how wrong is the game? When are you [Fifa and Uefa] going to listen to the people who are involved in the game?
"They say it's not fair on the player. Rubbish. The player has had his wages every week. They bought him, they worked with him, he belongs to them. It's so obvious. The world should change if it's wrong and football should look at itself.
"I'm looking at Alex Ferguson and thinking: 'What a magnificent manager. How can he handle this?' How he feels about Manchester United, how proud he is. Yet Wayne Rooney or his agent can now manufacture a situation like this."
Owen Coyle, Bolton
"I truly hope that Wayne Rooney remains a Manchester United player. I think we all accept that he is having an indifferent time in terms of his form, but it only takes one touch and finish for that confidence to go pumping through his veins again and for him to show his quality, because he is truly an outstanding player.
"I think Wayne Rooney and Manchester United are a tremendous fit and you don't want the best players leaving the Premier League. If they can see it through, whatever the trouble is, and sort it out and he remains a Manchester United player, I will be delighted. I think everyone in football will be, because they are an unbelievable club, one if not the biggest club in world football and you don't want to lose your best players – and he is certainly one of those.
"Sir Alex has seen teams change over the years and built teams up again and hopefully they can sit and have a bit of dialogue and sort it out. For me, Wayne Rooney and Manchester United go hand-in-hand, and you want that to continue and you want them to be strong."
Carlo Ancelotti, Chelsea
"We have to wait to see if Wayne Rooney really wants to leave Manchester United, if they really want to sell him.
"And also if Rooney is on the market, not only Chelsea would be interested but a lot of other teams as well."
Mark Hughes, Fulham
"Maybe Wayne's representatives have taken a position to negotiate a new contract but maybe they've miscalculated. The position they're in makes it very difficult for Wayne to come back from. Whether or not that was the intention initially, they have overplayed their position.
"I hope Wayne stays at Manchester United. He's at the right club at this moment in time - he's got good people around him. Sometimes the grass isn't always greener. Sometimes agents can be a really positive influence, but sometimes they can make your job harder.
"We all have to deal with player power. The nearer a player gets to the end of his contract, the more the power shifts to him and his representatives.
"Sir Alex understands that football changes very quickly and he's been able to change with it. His approach to similar situations in the past would have been different. That shows what a good manager he is."
Roy Hodgson, Liverpool
"I am pretty sure when a great player like Wayne Rooney is looking to leave his club Manchester United will be in a position to target an awful lot of players around the world.
"I don't think Fernando Torres would be the only player they will be targeting or [we would be] the only club worried their star striker is going to be a target.
"They will have the opportunity to replace him with many star strikers around the world, so all I can say is I am not naive to the situation."
Roberto Mancini, Manchester City
"Rooney plays for United and has another year on his contract. Every time, when I was in Italy, and there was a problem between the best player on the team and the manager, the coach or the owner, in a month the situation changed and he signed a new contract.
"If they lose him for next year, they will lose an important player. In December it is normal that teams that want to improve and have money to spend, will want to buy players. Maybe in January we can change some players, but it depends on the situation. If we have injuries, maybe. It was different for Carlos. Rooney is English and has played for United for a long time, Carlos was there for two years. That makes a difference."
Sir Alex Ferguson, Manchester United
"Sometimes you look in a field and see a cow. You think it is a better cow than the one you see in your field. It never really works out that way. Some players like to think the world is better somewhere else. It never really works."
Chris Hughton, Newcastle United
"It's indicative of the modern era. Was it a surprise? Yes, it was as big a surprise to me as it was to everybody else.
"But there is no better manager than Sir Alex and no better club than Manchester United to sort out that situation, and I am quite sure they will go about their business in the appropriate way."
Tony Pulis, Stoke
"I don't think it has got anything to do with Manchester United at all. It's just power. Wherever the money is, that's the power. It has always been the same. Players have become more powerful over a period and they dictate a lot of times what's happening. I heard managers talking about it and saying it was such a surprise. It's not a surprise to me. It's happening to Manchester United and it's happened to everyone else."
Steve Bruce, Sunderland
"The power is all with the players and that, for me, is sad because it is very, very difficult for any club, this just goes to prove, even Manchester United."
"It just shows you, even the best manager in the world with arguably one of the best clubs in the world still has the problems we all face.
"It's not for me to question Wayne Rooney, but the only thing I find strange is, I played there for the best part of 10 years and to question their ambition, I find that unbelievable. I remember in '95 when Fergie sold Ince, Kanchelskis and Hughes, we all scratched our heads and thought, 'Wow, what's this?'.
"The introduction of Beckham and Scholes and the Nevilles and Butt produced a dynasty for 10, 15 years which hauled in trophy after trophy, so I would never, ever question their ambition, that's for certain.
"It's not often you get a player knocking on the door publicly to leave Manchester United. But there you go, even the biggest club and the best manager the world - as probably seen - has problems, so good luck Sir Alex."
Harry Redknapp, Tottenham
"[Signing Rooney] is not impossible. If he's going to stay in England, who knows? You've got to be interested when the very, very best players become available but it would be a big ask. I'm sure there'll be some big fish out there wanting to take Rooney, that's for sure. He's a fantastic player - he's having a bad spell, he's had a bad two or three months - but he's a great player."
"He's got 18 months to get through before he's going to be free, which is going to be difficult. But if that's the road he wants to go down, he can go down that road. Man United can do nothing about it. All they can do is keep trying to make him a better offer to sign a contract, I suppose. There's no other way out for a club.
"One thing's for sure, he won't find a better club than Man United to play for. He's got a great manager there. I don't know what's gone on there but it's a shame if it ends that way."
Roberto Martinez, Wigan
"I think [player power] is the price of having such a high-profile league. The Premier League has got that status around the world, the players are well known, they are becoming more than footballers. But I think Manchester United and Sir Alex Ferguson have got enough experience and importance and everything that goes with it to deal with the situation.
"Wayne Rooney is one of the biggest stars in world football so he's always a special element to have [in the Premier League]. The campaign he had last season was of the highest standard and he's still very young to carry on improving."
Mick McCarthy, Wolves
"I do know that the best possible bloke to deal with this situation is Sir Alex. Clubs look after players as best they can until that player decides enough is enough. He's questioned their ambition has he? Well that's like someone questioning Bill Gates's ambition."