It appears to be a matter of when, not if, Wayne Rooney puts his name on the dotted line and becomes the latest European soccer legend to join MLS.
According to a report from Sky Sports News, Rooney could sign with D.C. United as early as Monday, with the report stating he’s agreed in principle a two-year contract worth around $5 million per season. The agreement also reportedly allows Rooney to return to Everton after his time in MLS to join the coaching staff at Goodison Park.
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Last week, Rooney visited Washington D.C. to meet with D.C. United GM Dave Kasper, tour the stadium and training grounds, undergo a medical, and determine whether the D.C. United offer was a good one. He also reportedly spoke to coach Ben Olsen over the phone, as Olsen was in Los Angeles preparing for that weekend’s match against Los Angeles FC.
But there is a complication that still needs to be resolved. Although other MLS teams have happily paid transfer fees and there’s no reason why D.C. United wouldn’t, Rooney still has a year left on his Everton contract, and it will depend on if the club pays a transfer fee or Rooney can negotiate a termination of the contract to enable him to come to MLS for him to start on July 15, when the second transfer window opens.
Whatever you think of Rooney now, there’s no denying that he’s been an outstanding goalscorer in his history, and that’s a severe area of need for D.C. United. D.C. currently sits in last place in the Eastern Conference with just 14 goals in 10 games, tied for second-worst in the entire league.
Rooney has slowly been playing a deeper role over the years with Everton and Manchester United before that instead of the standard No. 9 role he’ll likely play at D.C. United, but Rooney still managed to score 11 goals in all competitions for Everton this season.
There are plenty of question marks around the move, but for a team in desperate need of a striker and some goals, you can do plenty worse than signing Rooney.