Rooney closing in on stunning deal with another club

[PHOTO: COURTESY]

Wayne Rooney has agreed a deal in principle to join DC United from Everton.

The former Manchester United forward is set to leave his boyhood club just one season after returning.

He is set to move to America on an initial two-and-a-half year deal and would likely join the Eastern Conference side as their second 'Designated Player'.

Three different clubs are going to have to help fund Rooney's mega move to Major League Soccer, as the Red Devils are still subsidising the striker's Everton wages to the tune of £10million a year after he moved last summer.

The Americans are willing to offer £3million a year and are governed by a strict wage cap system in the MLS, although Rooney would come outside of that if he joined as a DP.

Rooney is currently on closer to £15million a year - meaning between them DC United, Manchester United, and Everton must stump up the cash to make the deal viable to Rooney.

Former England captain Rooney has one year left on his deal at Goodison Park, and was top scorer for the Toffees this season.

But the 32-year-old has fallen down the pecking order under Sam Allardyce, whom Rooney's move would suggest looks increasingly likely to stay on Merseyside this summer.

Rooney was noticeably frustrated in recent weeks when being frequently substituted by the Toffees boss - sometimes before the hour mark.

Rooney's agent, Paul Stretford, held talks with a number of MLS clubs 12 months ago, before the striker's switch to Goodison.

[PHOTO: COURTESY]

And DC United have maintained their interest throughout the intervening period, with Rooney the kind of star name that part owner Erick Thohir - who also owns a significant stake in Inter Milan - is looking for ahead of the opening of their new stadium on July 14.

The Washington club move into the purpose-built Audi Field on that date, four days after the MLS summer transfer window opens.

Until then, they will play just two of their next nine matches at 'home' and the club's chief executive Jason Levein has been under pressure to bring in a marquee name, particularly with the club having struggled in the Eastern Conference thus far in 2018, winning just one of their first seven matches.

It's understood Levein has held a number of meetings with Stratford in recent weeks, to thrash out a deal.

United are looking to grow commercially over the coming years, and Rooney, allied to the new stadium, would be a big draw in increasing revenues; currently, they have one of the smallest overall budgets in MLS.

If Rooney arrives on July 10, he faces 14 of 19 home games in the second half of the season, thus easing him into MLS life, with its unique travel demands - something Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard have both previously admitted struggling with.

Rooney's Premier League finale will be against West Ham at London Stadium on Sunday.