The Manchester United striker has been tipped for a return to former club Everton this summer.
Manchester United’s Wayne Rooney applauds the fans as he is is substituted against Everton
Talksport pundits Michael Gray and Simon Jordan have expressed contrasting opinions on whether or not Wayne Rooney would succeed back at Everton.
Speaking on Wednesday’s Jim White Show, Gray stated Rooney would not improve Everton’s current options, and could find his opportunities equally limited were he to quit Manchester United and return to his boyhood club.
The former Sunderland and England defender pointed toward Rooney’s diminishing seasonal goal tallies as evidence of the 31-year-old’s decline in recent years.
However, Jordan, the former Crystal Palace chairman is adamant there are mitigating circumstances for Rooney’s ongoing poor fortune.
“Rooney is still a top class player,” he said. “I think he will score goals. I think that Micky’s statistics will have a converse argument about where he was playing in the team [occasionally in midfield] and what the team was doing during that passage of time, and how many games he played and whatever else.
“I would be willing to wager that if you’ve got an offensive team like Everton that have got players like Bolasie, that attack teams and create space, Rooney would score 20 goals.”
When asked by Gray where Rooney would fit into Ronald Koeman’s side, Jordan replied: “Centre-forward.
“Lukaku will go.”
Everton’s Romelu Lukaku in action against Manchester United
Lukaku is the Premier League’s top scorer with 21 goals this season, but could be on his way out of Everton this summer after failing to agree a new contract at Goodison Park.
Rooney’s United have been listed as a possible destination for the Belgian, whose agent Mino Raiola helped to bring Paul Pogba and Zlatan Ibrahimovic to Old Trafford in 2016.
Could Rooney fill Lukaku’s boots at Everton?
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