Everton

Wayne Rooney insisted he is still determined to enjoy success at his unveiling as an Everton player on Monday, suggesting he's "not coming to a retirement home."

The 31-year-old joined the Toffees on Sunday, returning to the club 13 years after joining Manchester United. Sitting alongside manager Ronald Koeman at a press conference, Rooney was adamant he still has a lot to offer, per Chris Beesley of the Liverpool Echo:

A beaming Rooney, who left United as the club's all-time top goalscorer, also spoke about his delight at rejoining his boyhood club and his excitement at taking to the field in royal blue on the first day of the Premier League season:

As we can see courtesy of the Everton Twitter feed, earlier in the day the England captain took part in his first full training session back with the Toffees:

Koeman also expressed his delight at getting a player of Rooney's pedigree in at Goodison Park in what has been an eventful summer for the Merseyside club in the transfer market.

"When we spoke it was about ambition, he was desperate to come back," said the Everton boss. "He showed me he likes pressure, he's used to doing that. Some players need it to get the best out of themselves."

Koeman also outlined where he envisages Rooney playing in the Everton side, hinting it'll be near the top end of the pitch instead of in midfield:

Aside from Rooney, the Toffees have landed Jordan Pickford, Michael Keane, Davy Klaassen and Sandro Ramirez in the window. However, last season's star striker Romelu Lukaku is set to depart for Manchester United. Koeman explained why the Belgian is on his way.

"He took the right decision," he said. "Let's hope everything goes well. I like him, I like the player. But it's all about Everton now. There was one big reason I signed for Everton, and it was all about the project. The club are showing this ambition. It's very exciting times."

Koeman was also quizzed on the future of midfielder Ross Barkley, who has also been linked with a move away. "It's a nice question...for the next press conference," the Dutchman teased. "I don't speak about other things other than the presentation than Wayne."

Swansea City have reportedly told Everton they will have to pay a whopping £50 million if they want to sign Gylfi Sigurdsson this summer.

As noted by Sky Sports News HQ, it appears the Welsh club is determined to hang on to its talisman: 

Chris Wathan of WalesOnline suggested Swansea are "refusing to be bullied into letting go of the Iceland ace."

Wathan also noted "it is understood Swansea are ready to make it known that they will not stand aside and allow a deal on the cheap, having already knocked back one record bid from Leicester [City]."

According to Dafydd Pritchard of BBC Wales Sport, Leicester have already had an offer of around £40 million rejected for the 27-year-old midfielder.

Even in a summer of massive spending, the reported price tag for Sigurdsson is eye-watering.

Writer Ste Hoare believes the inflated market is making transfers difficult to pull off:

Still, Everton have been one of the most active Premier League sides in the summer transfer window, with five players through the door already, including Wayne Rooney.

As B/R Football suggested below, Sigurdsson and Arsenal man Olivier Giroud have been tipped to head to Goodison Park too:

Nevertheless, Swansea hold all the cards here. After all, Sigurdsson only signed a long-term contract with the club a year ago, meaning there is no pressure to cash in. 

Sigurdsson is so important to Swansea's cause. The former Tottenham Hotspur man is versatile, energetic and capable of conjuring moments of brilliance in the final third; he did so frequently to help the team stay in the Premier League last season. Even if they were to bring in £50 million from a sale, he'd be a tough man to replace.

Additionally, the Iceland star is renowned for his ability in dead-ball situations, as WhoScored.com noted late last season:

While plenty will raise an eyebrow at the valuation, it's evident Sigurdsson is a huge influence at the Liberty Stadium. For the club, it'd be a major blow to see him depart. With that in mind, it's understandable the Swans are trying to ward off suitors.

The Toffees have splashed the cash on the likes of Davy Klaassen, Jordan Pickford, Michael Keane and Sandro Ramirez already in this transfer window. However, it'd be a surprise if they were willing to part with quite so much for a player who, despite his many qualities, has clear limitations.

BR Video

Wayne Rooney has returned to his boyhood club Everton.

In the video above, we look at him in action as a child, when he dominated youth football on Merseyside.

Romelu Lukaku has bid farewell to Everton and thanked both the club and fans for their support ahead of his move to Manchester United.

The Belgian posted his message on Instagram alongside a video:

According to the Mirror's Mick Gadd, he completed his United medical on Sunday and is set to join them for £75 million.

Lukaku spent four years at Goodison Park, the first of which was on loan from Chelsea before he made his switch permanent in 2014.

During that time, he made 166 appearances and netted on 87 occasions, as well as providing 29 assists for his team-mates.

Football writer Liam Canning is ecstatic with the purchase:

A player as clinical as Lukaku was sorely needed at Old Trafford this summer, after a season in which they scored just 54 goals in the Premier League.

At Everton, the 24-year-old netted 25 goals in the English top flight last year, and he could reach even greater heights with higher calibre team-mates supplying him with ammunition.

United legend Gary Neville is hoping that will be the case, as Lukaku is not without flaws for all his considerable talent:

He should be able to maintain his prolific goalscoring record either way, but if he can improve the weaker areas of his game, he and United could become almost unstoppable.

Lukaku's departure will be a blow to Everton, but the Toffees have otherwise had a superb transfer window, and they will be hoping their signings of Davy Klaassen, Sandro Ramirez and Wayne Rooney can make up for the loss of his firepower.

His sale has also provided them with a significant injection of cash they can put back into the team, so there may yet be more arrivals at Goodison Park this summer as they continue to strengthen.

New Everton signing Wayne Rooney took to Instagram to thank his former club Manchester United after completing his move on Sunday.

The veteran forward, who passed Sir Bobby Charlton to become United's all-time top scorer in January, returned to Merseyside after 13 years at Old Trafford. He thanked everyone for making his time in Manchester so memorable:

The 31-year-old broke through as a youngster at Everton before moving to United in 2004. As a Red Devil, he won five Premier League titles, one UEFA Champions League trophy and one UEFA Europa League championship, as well as a number of domestic cups.

He led United's attack for years, but his scoring output came down after the 2011-12 campaign. Several managers used him as a midfielder and even in a wide role, but none of the changes helped him rediscover his shooting boots.

Both sides needed something different, and the Toffees made for a perfect match, per Samuel Luckhurst of the Manchester Evening News:

Rooney will undoubtedly remain a United legend regardless of what happens at Goodison Park, and one or two more great seasons with Everton would add to an already impressive legacy. While he's been a Premier League star for well over a decade, he's still just 31, so he should have plenty left in the tank.

Gylfi Sigurdsson and Olivier Giroud could follow Wayne Rooney to Everton as the Toffees expand their squad ahead of the new season.

As BBC Sport reported, Rooney rejoined his boyhood club on Sunday after 13 years at Manchester United, signing a two-year deal. The former Red Devils captain was elated at the transfer, saying: "It's a great feeling to be back. I cannot wait to meet the lads, get on the training pitch and then get on the pitch to play."

The Daily Mirror (h/t Chris Beesley of the Liverpool Echo) reported Sigurdsson could now arrive in a £30 million move from Swansea City, with Arsenal's Giroud also said to be on his way. Sigurdsson would pocket £135,000 per week if he signs up, bolstering manager Ronald Koeman's top-class options.

The 27-year-old is one of the Premier League's most productive midfielders, and the danger he poses from set pieces is undoubted.

The Iceland international scored nine goals and provided 13 assists last term, according to WhoScored.com, helping keep his team in the English top flight after a poor start to the campaign.

Lukaku is likely to wrap up his move to United in the coming days, per ESPN FC's Alexis Nunes, opening the door for Giroud to take his place at Everton.

The Frenchman has struggled to hold down a regular place during his spell in north London, but he has proven pedigree against English defences.

Sky Sports News HQ's Kaveh Solhekol revealed the probability of the transfer:

Koeman will have a formidable starting XI next season if he purchases the players on his wishlist.

Rooney will provide the leadership that has missing in recent campaigns and brings a proven winning mentality after capturing the Premier League on five occasions.

Sigurdsson didn't adapt during his disappointing two-year spell at Tottenham Hotspur, but it can be argued Spurs suffocated his play through poor positional choices.

The Toffees are primed to battle for a UEFA Champions League berth next season, and Rooney's return could trigger silverware in the next couple of years.

Wayne Rooney completed a transfer from Manchester United to Everton on Sunday.

The Toffees' official Twitter account noted the deal was done, with the England captain signing on for two years with his boyhood club:

"It's a great feeling to be back," Rooney said, per the club's official website. "I'm excited; I cannot wait to meet the lads, get on the training pitch and then get on the pitch to play. "I'm ecstatic—I just cannot wait to get back playing."

The transfer brings an end to 13 distinguished years at Old Trafford. Rooney won five Premier League titles with the Red Devils, as well as the UEFA Champions League in 2007-08 and the FA Cup in 2015-16.

The forward also departs as the leading goalscorer in United's history, with 253, a record Sir Bobby Charlton previously held.

Following the announcement, Manchester United provided a statement from manager Jose Mourinho:

"It is no secret that I have long been an admirer of Wayne; he has been a model professional throughout his time at the club and will remain in the history books for many years to come.

"It is never easy to see a great player playing less football than he would like, and I could not stand in his way when he asked to go back to Everton. His experience, focus and determination will be missed, and I wish him well for the future."

Despite his longstanding association with the Manchester outfit, the time is right for Rooney to pursue a new challenge.

After all, following a difficult start to the 2016-17 season under the recently installed Mourinho, the England captain was relegated to the bench. Rooney's form was poor early in the campaign, as he failed to make an impression at the point of the attack, as a support striker, from out wide or even in midfield.

Given he's approaching the twilight of his career at 31, it's no surprise he has opted to leave.

Everton boss Ronald Koeman will be hoping the switch back to Goodison Park can rekindle something in Rooney. When he's at his best, there's a fire in his belly—although it's not something we've seen frequently in recent seasons.

The Blue Room's Ell Bretland is excited to see what Rooney has to offer in his second spell with the club:

It would be unfair to accuse Rooney of settling into a comfort zone at Old Trafford, as his honours list paints him as a serial winner. But the chance to play in his beloved royal blue again will surely stir something in him, even given the amount of football he's played in his career.

His final couple of seasons at United may have blemished Rooney's Red Devils legacy slightly, but to have been such a key member of the team for so long is credit to both his talent and durability.

It will be a long time before another player betters Rooney's longevity and success at what is one of the world's most demanding clubs.

Everton striker and Manchester United target Romelu Lukaku was reportedly arrested for disturbing the peace at a house party attended while holidaying in Los Angeles.

According to TMZ, Lukaku was arrested on July 2 at a house he was renting in Beverly Hills after police were called to the property six times due to noise complaints over a party. It's mentioned Lukaku was not "formally booked" or brought to the police station, but he was given a citation.

It's said Lukaku "didn't listen" to the warnings to keep the noise down and was subsequently arrested.

BBC Sport previously reported United had agreed an initial £75 million deal—potentially rising to £90 million—to sign Lukaku, and United themselves confirmed the move is entering its final key stages:

It's known Lukaku's holiday contingent has included friend and presumed team-mate-to-be Paul Pogba, who posted a video on his Instagram of the pair celebrating news of the former's agreed deal:

Just how an arrest would go down with his prospective new employers is up for debate, but United will surely overlook such an offence on this occasion as they look to seal possibly the biggest move of the summer.

TMZ noted there has been no confirmation of any punishment from Los Angeles authorities for the Belgian forward.

Sky Sports pundit and former Premier League midfielder Paul Merson gave the view that Lukaku has what it takes to continue his strain of success in England's top flight at Old Trafford, via Sky Bet:

The Belgium international was reported by BBC Sport to have rejected a new £140,000-per-week contract at Goodison Park in pursuit of a greater challenge. 

After turning that new deal down, the striker later said, "I don't want to stay at the same level. I want to improve and I know where I want to do that."

Chelsea were also known to have raised interest in re-signing former Blue Lukaku, but Sky Sports News reporter Kaveh Solhekol elaborated on why United won the race for his services:

The 24-year-old will be looking to have similar success to predecessor Zlatan Ibrahimovic after outscoring the Swede by eight goals in the last campaign, albeit in more appearances.

Manchester United will reportedly allow Wayne Rooney to move to Everton for free despite the Toffees' willingness to offer £10 million, though the deal is said to be separate from Romelu Lukaku's reported transfer in the opposite direction.

According to MailOnline's Simon Jones and Alex Martin, United will waive the fee to "smooth his departure" from the club, while they also reported Rooney's agent, Paul Stretford, was at the offices of Everton chairman Bill Kenwright on Wednesday and "thrashed out a contract," with Everton offering £150,000 per week, an £80,000 pay cut.

United are reported to have agreed a £75 million deal for Lukaku on Wednesday.

The Daily Telegraph's James Ducker believes that while the two deals aren't connected, Everton's interest in Rooney is clearly to their advantage.

Allowing United's all-time leading goalscorer to join his boyhood club for free also leaves room for further negotiations regarding Rooney's wages, so he may perhaps receive something a little closer to his £230,000-per-week earnings with talks "likely to involve commercial revenue."

Even on a free transfer, the deal is still somewhat questionable given Rooney's diminishing ability to influence games in a positive way.

The Daily Telegraph's Matt Law and BT Sport's Jake Humphrey disagreed over the forward's effectiveness:

Football writer Joseph Musker also put Rooney's recent form in perspective:

His marked decline has been plain to see, and it's debatable whether he still possesses the form or fitness to command a starting role, even at Goodison Park.

The 31-year-old could prove useful for his off-field qualities, as he would be an incredibly experienced head in the dressing room, one who has reached the top of the game at club level.

He would need to contribute when he does play, though, so Everton will be hoping his return revitalises him in the twilight of his career.