Wayne Rooney To DC United? Talks Ongoing, Everton Could Sanction Move

The Major League Soccer (MLS) in the United States could be set to welcome yet another global soccer star with reports suggesting Wayne Rooney is close to agreeing a deal to join Eastern Conference side DC United for the ongoing campaign. Zlatan Ibrahimovic was the latest arrival from Europe when he joined LA Galaxy in March.

The 32-year-old currently plays for Everton in the English Premier League but is said to want to leave the club once the season comes to an end Sunday. He joined the Merseyside club on a free transfer from Manchester United in the summer.

Rooney spent over a decade with United where he won the Premier League and the Champions League before returning to his boyhood club last summer. A forward during his time with the Red Devils, he was deployed mostly in midfield by Everton manager Sam Allardyce, which has not gone down well with the player.

He is the club’s top scorer this season with 11 goals, but his last came in December and has since completed the full 90 minutes on just four occasions. He was unhappy when he was substituted before the hour mark against Liverpool and is said to be ready to quit the club and move stateside this summer.

According to the Daily Mail, the player’s agent Paul Stretford has been in Washington to discuss a deal with the MLS club and talks are said to be in an advanced stage. The report claimed a £12.5m ($17m) deal was close to being agreed between the two clubs with Rooney expected to sign a two-year deal until the end of the 2020 season.

The former United forward is said to have already told the Everton hierarchy he wishes to leave the club once the Premier League season comes to an end Sunday. But any move to DC United can only be confirmed once the MLS transfer window officially opens July 10.

Rooney’s potential arrival in the U.S. capital could coincide with the MLS club’s unveiling of their new stadium — the Audi Field stadium — on July 14 when they take on the Vancouver Whitecaps.

Allardyce is said to be open to the idea of selling Rooney after indicating he will not be able to give him regular game time next season. But the idea of their marquee player leaving is not said to be unanimous in the boardroom with Everton chairman Bill Kenwright keen to keep the former England international at the club.

However, majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri is said to be open to the sale for the sole reason that his departure will free up a big amount of funds especially in terms of his wages, which is said to be around £150,000-a-week. Allardyce addressed the rumors about a potential move earlier this week but refused to confirm or deny he could leave the club this summer.

“There are rumors about Wayne going elsewhere abroad — in China and America — but at the moment he is an Everton player and an Everton fan,” Allardyce said, as quoted by goal.com. “So I wouldn’t consider anything on the cards on the moment. It would have to be massive for him to want to leave Everton.”