Coach Allardyce says Rooney hasn’t asked to leave Everton

London, May 12: Everton head coach Sam Allardyce said Friday that forward Wayne Rooney, rumoured to be negotiating a move to Major League Soccer (MLS) outfit D.C. United, has not officially requested to leave the Merseyside club. Rooney, 32, who returned last summer to Everton after 13 seasons with Manchester United, is reportedly set to leave his boyhood club for a fee of around 12.5 million pounds ($17 million), reports Efe.

“I don’t get involved in anything with regards transfers, so all I know is there appears to be interest from D.C. United,” Allardyce told reporters.

“In terms of clarity of whether Wayne is staying or leaving, I’ll find out a little more later when he comes into training,” the coach added.

D.C. United is said to have offered the long-time England international a contract until the end of 2020, and his agent, Paul Stretford, is currently in the United States negotiating terms. Rooney is the top scorer for Everton this season, with 11 goals in all competitions. IANS