Wayne Rooney is sensationally in line to quit Manchester United and re-join Everton on a free transfer by the end of the week, according to the Sun.
The newspaper claim that the United captain has withdrawn from his club’s pre-season tour of the United States and will not be in the travelling party that heads out on Sunday.
The Sun report that sources from both the Manchester and Merseyside-based clubs have confirmed a deal is in place and that the deal is “all but done” for Rooney, 31, to return to his boyhood club.
It is said that Rooney will be joined at Everton next season by Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud in a stunning overhaul of the Everton front line.
The Merseysiders are set to pay £20million for the Frenchman, who has slipped down the pecking order at Emirates Stadium following the arrival of Alexandre Lacazette from Lyon in a club-record deal.
The reported arrival of the pair will add to Ronald Koeman’s stunning revamp of the Everton squad and will take the number of their striker signings to three following Monday’s signing of Sandro Ramirez from Malaga.
Rooney quit Everton in 2004 for Old Trafford at the age of 18 after lighting up that summer’s European Championships and has subsequently supplanted Bobby Charlton as United’s record goalscorer while hoarding trophies.
The Sun report that he will head back to Goodison on a free provided that he does not request United pay him for the final two years remaining on his contract.
The forward is in line to sign a £250,000-a-week contract that will run for two years with the option of a third year.