Barcelona are preparing to launch a world record £85 million raid for Manchester United's superstar striker Wayne Rooney, according to the News of the World.

The tabloid claims that the Camp Nou board hopes to exploit the Red Devils' financial concerns in order to top Real Madrid's £80m purchase of Cristiano Ronaldo last season.

Sir Alex Ferguson is yet to reinvest the money brought in from his Portuguese protege's departure, and it is thought that the Old Trafford club's debts are preventing him from doing so.

Meanwhile, with Rooney set to enter the 2010 World Cup as England's marquee player, Barca believe his arrival next summer would be just the marketing leveller needed after Los Galacticos output in the last transfer window.

However, the Spanish giants are aware of the difficulties in orchestrating such a signing - the main problem being that the player himself has often expressed his desire to remain at United for the rest of his career.

Furthermore, the 24-year-old's wife, Colleen, recently gave birth to the pair's first child, and so he would be naturally wary of destabilising his young family by moving abroad.