Wayne Rooney is open to the prospect of completing a remarkable return to former club Everton, according to the Daily Mail.
The paper has claimed that the Manchester United captain would give serious consideration to heading back up the M62 to be reunited with his boyhood club after apparently telling close friends that his 13-year career at Old Trafford is over.
Rooney infamously left Everton for United in a £27m deal in the summer of 2004 - a decision that led to the striking sensation labelled a traitor by large swathes of the Toffees fanbase - but may seek to return to his roots once the 2016/17 campaign draws to a close.
Blues boss Ronald Koeman and Director of Football Steve Walsh spoke glowingly about Rooney during a Sky Sports access-all-areas day at Everton's USM Finch Farm training ground on Tuesday, and both admitted that they would wlecome the 31-year-old back to the club with open arms.
Clubs in China's Super League and America's MLS are thought to harbour hopes of luring Rooney to their respective nations with the offer of a lucrative last payday, but Koeman is of the opinion that Rooney would be wasted overseas and claims that the boyhood Evertonian would have "two or three" more years at the top of the game before he potentiall calls time on his career.
Despite Everton being backed by billionaire owner Farhad Moshiri, it is believed that Rooney would have to take a substantial pay cut if he agreed to move back to Goodison - the forward's £230,000-a-week wages currently too high for the Blues to pay him.
RK "In my opinon, Wayne Rooney is one of the players who will make Everton more stronger". #EFC pic.twitter.com/W4ytYXDciZ
Everton are set to offer star striker Romelu Lukaku a new deal worth around £100,000-a-week, but even that record club salary would be dwarfed by Rooney's current wages if the England international severed ties at United in favour of a move back to his home city.
Rooney is currently contracted to the Red Devils until June 2019, but his future has been the topic of intense speculation throughout the season, particularly after the five-time Premier League winner lost his place in the starting lineup earlier in the campaign.
Rooney notched 15 goals in 67 games for Everton before his departure in 2004, and has since gone on to become United's new all-time record goalscorer with 250 goals and lift 18 trophies during his time with United.
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