Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho insisted he will not give up on the chase for Manchester United forward Wayne Rooney.

The England international has been the subject of much transfer speculation this summer, and is thought to want a move away from Old Trafford, with Chelsea reportedly his preferred destination.

Mourinho has publicly revealed his admiration for Rooney while also admitting the Blues were working on a deal to bring the 27-year-old to Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea have already seen two bids rebuffed by United, with the second bid thought to have been made earlier this week.

United continue to maintain that Rooney is not for sale, but some reports suggest the former Everton striker might be ready to hand in a transfer request in a bid to force a move to Chelsea.

Mourinho has far from given up landing the mercurial Rooney before the close of the transfer window and said he would fight until the end to try and seal the United player's signature.

"There is no time limit on it," Mourinho said.

"We have identified the player as one we would like to have with us. We have done it in an ethical way and we are going to do that until the last day.

"We are doing things legally, making the official bid directly to the club.

"There have been no direct relations with the player, no contact -- absolutely nothing. So let's see if things change."

Arsenal are also reportedly interested in Rooney, but Chelsea remain the clear favorites and also the player's preferred club.

United will fight tooth and nail to avoid selling Rooney to a direct rival, and would prefer to sell the striker to a club outside the English Premier League.

However, despite being linked with the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain, no club has shown a concrete interest as yet.