Everton boss Marco Silva is to hold showdown talks with striker Wayne Rooney to convince him to stay at the Merseyside club, according to the Sun.
The newspaper reported on their website that despite the forward agreeing in principle a move to American outfit DC United, Silva is determined to hang on to one of his star players.
A year after returning to his first club Everton, Rooney is understood to have had a medical and is now house hunting in Washington DC ahead of the proposed move, but the Toffees boss has made it clear that the former England international is firmly in his plans for next season.
OPINION
Rooney has scored 11 goals in all competitions this season, but that is not the only reason why Silva is determined to keep him at Goodison Park. With Rooney comes a wealth of experience, having won both the Premier League title and domestic titles with his former club Manchester United, as well as performing on the world stage with England. The younger players at Everton look up to him as somebody who a depth of knowledge of the game and that will be extremely vital to them. Despite being 32, Rooney still has the fitness to compete in the top flight. He has always said that he never wants to be a bit-part player, but Silva’s news that he wants Rooney in his plans may go some way in convincing the Liverpool-born player to stay. However, Rooney needs to decide whether he can still compete with the Premier League’s rising stars.