Wayne Rooney might be on the move again this summer.
The English soccer icon is in talks to join Major League Soccer’s D.C. United this summer, The Washington Post’s Steve Goff reported Wednesday, citing sources. A person familiar with Rooney’s negotiations with D.C. United claims talks have accelerated in recent weeks, and the team now has a 50 percent chance of signing Rooney during the MLS’ summer transfer and trade window, which opens July 10.
Rooney’s contract with Everton will expire in June 2019, but the Premier League club might allow him to leave before it expires. He has scored 11 goals in 40 games for Everton in all competitions this season but reportedly has grown frustrated at his role under manager Sam Allardyce.
Rooney, 32, emotionally returned to his boyhood club last summer after spending the previous 13 seasons with Manchester United. He scored a record 253 goals in 559 games for the Red Devils and helped them win five Premier League titles, the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, one FA Cup, three Football League Cups and one FIFA Club World Cup. He also played 119 games for England’s national team, scoring a record 53 goals.
His potential transfer to D.C. United undoubtedly will boost the team’s visibility ahead of the July 14 opening of its new stadium, Audi Field. Whether he’ll have a similar impact on the team’s results remains to be seen.
