Why Rooney should be worried about Everton’s reported Brahimi interest

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Two years on, Everton are making a new move to bring Porto winger Yacine Brahimi to the Premier League, but what does that mean for Wayne Rooney?

Wayne Rooney was understood to be very unhappy with Sam Allardyce’s decision to sub him off just before the hour in Everton’s goalless Merseyside derby draw with Liverpool earlier this month, as reported by the Sun (9 April, page 49).

Allardyce even intimated after the game that Rooney does not have the legs to perform against the Premier League’s very best any longer, which has cast some doubt on his long-term future as the Toffees’ star man.

At 32, Rooney cannot go on forever and Everton must start managing his fitness levels as effectively as possible. But if the latest Goodison Park transfer reports turn out to be true, it is difficult to see where the former England skipper could fit in next season.

According to Turkish outlet A Spor, Everton are still keen to sign Porto’s Yacine Brahimi this summer, two years after they had a £33.6 million bid rejected for the Algerian international.

Brahimi is a left winger by trade, but the 28-year-old can also play effectively as a number ten. He has set up seven goals and scored seven more for Portuguese league leaders Porto this season and, should he make that long-awaited move to Merseyside this summer, would provide more pace, incision and creativity than Rooney does in a similar role.

Even if Brahimi was to start on the left, this should push Gylfi Sigurdsson into his favoured number ten position.

And where does Rooney play then, with Theo Walcott on the right and Cenk Tosun a more mobile presence in attack?

Rooney’s final years at Manchester United were marred by questions over his most effective role and suggestions that the team flowed better in his absence. Could a similar scenario be taking shape at Everton?