Rooney DC doubt alarms Toffees
EVERTON are hoping that Wayne Rooney’s move to MLS side DC United is still on following Sam Allardyce’s sacking.
Any U-turn on the switch to Washington would mean having to cough up another £9million for a player who is 33 in October.
Sunday People Sport can reveal that Everton agreed a deal worth £180,000 a week on a two-year contract last summer.
Former club Manchester United weighed in with £120,000 a week enabling Rooney (right) to receive the same financial rewards he had enjoyed at Old Trafford.
This was driven by Goodison Park chairman Bill Kenwright, despite majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri expressing doubts about it. Those doubts increased when it became obvious that Allardyce felt that Rooney’s powers were diminishing.
With Allardyce’s departure last week there is a feeling that Rooney could now wait to see if the new manager wanted him to stay.
That has alarmed Moshiri who wants Rooney off the wage bill, especially after being hit by a compensation bill for axing Allardyce and his assistants. Moshiri is hoping the transfer to DC United is still on as he looks to reshape the club over the coming weeks.
As revealed by Sunday People Sport Kenwright’s contract to remain on the board ends in August.
After that it’s likely that his role will be diminished with all transfers then being handled by the club’s new director of football, Marcel Brands. EVERTON signed transfer guru Marcel Brands this week – and are ready to start exploiting their new recruit’s special bond with super-agent Mino Raiola.
Brands leaves Dutch giants PSV Eindhoven to be the Toffees’ director of football, starting on June 1.
With access to Brands’ contacts book – and Raiola’s influence in particular – Everton are banking on putting themselves first in the queue for some of Europe’s prize talents.
During his time in Holland, Brands, 56, who succeeds Steve Walsh at Goodison, fostered a close friendship with the Dutch-italian go-between.
Raiola (above) earned a £41million cut from the transfer of Paul Pogba to Manchester United last summer.
Dutch sources say it was Raiola who first recommended Brands to Everton 12 months ago when the agent was conducting negotiations between the Toffees and United over Romelu Lukaku’s £75m move to Old Trafford.
Brands was confirmed in his new position this week, after making his final decision only last Sunday, when it became clear that sweeping changes were afoot on Merseyside.
Brands has strong links with Raiola, and that’s good news for Everton owner Farhad Moshiri, who is desperate to break into the top six – and has the funds to make it happen. Twelve months ago, Everton were in a similar position, but a poor start to the campaign has ultimately led to the sacking of two managers – Ronald Koeman and Sam Allardyce – the latter after an eighth-placed finish.
The Toffees are now following a blueprint set down by clubs like Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Second-tier champions Wolves also aligned themselves closely to one of the transfer market’s big operators, Jorge Mendes.
That tactic has helped the Black Country club hugely during the past 12 months. The Portuguese wheeler-dealer has smoothed the path for such talents as £15m midfielder Ruben Neves to move from Benfica to Molineux – even though Wolves were in the Championship at the time.
Mendes also secured a loan deal from Atletico Madrid for Diogo Jota – and both players were instrumental in boss Nuno Espirito Santo (another Mendes client) storming to the title.
Recruit
Wolves, now backed by Chinese conglomerate Fosun International, have set their sights high again this summer, and are already being linked with another Portuguese recruit, Andre Silva from AC Milan.
Brands will benefit similarly from Raiola’s contacts book and current client list.
Former waiter Raiola has Paris Saint-germain’s Marco Verratti on his books, along with Juventus midfielder Blaise Matuidi.
Those two players are probably not going to be on the Everton target list – but the likes of Ajax winger Justin Kluivert and PSV and Maxico wideman Hirving Lozano would be within reach.