Everton reportedly want to sign two-time Premier League champion and England international Fabian Delph from Manchester City.
Everton’s reported pursuit of Fabian Delph would surely get Wayne Rooney’s seal of approval.
According to The Sun, The Toffees are interested in a £16 million deal for the two-time Premier League champion, who is expected to leave Manchester City this summer after struggling for game time recently under Pep Guardiola.
A 29-year-old midfielder who has filled in admirably at left-back in recent years, Delph would bring not only commendable adaptability but also a real will to win at Everton. He captained Aston Villa before becoming a vocal and influential presence in Manchester City’s star-studded dressing room.
He might not possess the natural ability of a Fernandinho or a David Silva but there’s a reason why Delph was such a key player at times under Guardiola. And Everton legend Rooney knows first hand just how important the Leeds-born enforcer can be.
Back in September 2014, Delph made a huge impact on his England debut, producing a performance full of tenacity and technique in the centre of the park as Roy Hodgson’s Three Lions secured an impressive 2-0 away win in Switzerland.
“I thought Fabian was brilliant in his first start. He took the ball, played with confidence and great energy and showed what a top player he is,” a clearly impressed Rooney said in quotes reported by the Birmingham Mail, revealing that he had to tell Delph to ‘be careful’ as his natural aggression threatened to bubble over at times.
Five years have passed and, in that time, Delph has managed to hone and channel that aggression while improving his technique and tactical awareness under former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss Guardiola.
And if that £16 million move to Everton does materialise, you can imagine that Rooney will be first to send a former team-mate his best wishes.
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