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Wayne Rooney is set to meet Ronald Koeman this week as he prepares to leave Manchester United and return to boyhood club Everton.
As exclusively first revealed by The Independent in March, despite firm interest from elsewhere, Rooney’s first choice has always been to return to the Toffees whom he left for Old Trafford in 2004 as an 18-year-old.
It is understood that United are willing to waive a transfer fee, while Everton are capable of offering Rooney a deal of £150,000 a week with the player set to meet manager Koeman this week.
How Manchester United could line up next seasonShow all 12 1 /12How Manchester United could line up next season How Manchester United could line up next season How could United line up? Jose Mourinho's side have been linked with dozens of new signings, but who is most likely to line up for the club in time for the start of the 2017/18 season?
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How Manchester United could line up next season Goalkeeper – David De Gea Reports in Spain now suggest De Gea will stay at United once again as Real Madrid have failed to convince the club to sell.
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How Manchester United could line up next season Right back – Serge Aurier Serge Aurier is believed to be in advanced talks with Manchester United ahead of a £25m move to Old Trafford. However visa issues are delaying the move so far.
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How Manchester United could line up next season Centre-back – Eric Bailly Bailly had a phenomenal first season at United and looks like he will be the bedrock of Mourinho’s defence for the foreseeable future.
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How Manchester United could line up next season Centre-back – Victor Lindelof Victor Lindelof has joined the club from Benfica and will start in the heart of United's defence.
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How Manchester United could line up next season Left-back – Danny Rose Danny Rose is pushing for a move north and Manchester United are known to be interested in the left-back as Luke Shaw's future grows even more uncertain.
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How Manchester United could line up next season Midfield - Ander Herrera A fan favourite at Old Trafford, Herrera's tenacious performances in the middle of the park last season saw his stock rise immeasurably. With Wayne Rooney's days numbered, the Spaniard may be in line to take the captain's armband.
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How Manchester United could line up next season Midfield – Nemanja Matic The signing of Matic is one that screams not only of the need for discipline in the heart of this United team, but one that reiterates how the Portuguese is looking for players who can help him win now, not a couple of years down the line.
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How Manchester United could line up next season Midfield – Paul Pogba Mourinho is known to want to bring in a defensive midfielder in order to free up the Frenchman to operate further up the field.
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How Manchester United could line up next season Left-wing - Marcus Rashford The young English forward has done enough to earn Mourinho's trust and should be used in the first XI far more next term.
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How Manchester United could line up next season Right-wing – Ivan Perisic United are only willing to spend £35m on Perisic but Inter want £50m. The club are still confident they can push the deal through.
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How Manchester United could line up next season Striker - Romelu Lukaku Mourinho has prioritised a new No.9 this summer following Zlatan Ibrahimovic's season-ending injury and subsequent release and has opted for Lukaku as his top choice.
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The England captain fell out of favour under Jose Mourinho at United this season before losing his place in Gareth Southgate’s international squad as well prompting him to assess his options this summer.
United would have been willing to let Rooney go to the Chinese Super League at the end of February but, as reported by The Independent at the time, the 31-year-old still felt he had more to offer at Premier League level and was also determined to ensure he was in the England team for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
That would have been almost impossible, had he made the move to China, and it is also understood Rooney’s representatives were put off by the standard of football there.
The Independent has since learned that a prospective offer from Everton was also greatly playing on the player’s mind, and that the Merseyside club have been investigating a move “for a few months”.
Manchester United summer transfer targetsShow all 8 1 /8Manchester United summer transfer targets Manchester United summer transfer targets Ivan Perisic, Inter Milan United want to spend £35m on Perisic but Inter are holding out for closer to £50m. That said, Mourinho is a big fan and may be willing to go the extra mile to get him. Likelihood: 7/10
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Manchester United summer transfer targets Renato Sanches - Bayern Munich Sanches was being chased by United before deciding on Bayern Munich last summer but is back on their radar again 12 months later. He is available for £43m and Ancelotti has admitted United are "a possibility".
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Manchester United summer transfer targets Fabinho - Monaco An extremely versatile player Mourinho sees him more as a defensive midfielder and could be used to give Paul Pogba, last summer's big addition, more freedom. Monaco aren't in any rush to lose any more first team stars this summer though and are likely to demand a hefty fee. Likelihood: 7/10
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Manchester United summer transfer targets Eric Dier - Tottenham United have already had a bid less than £25m rejected for the defensive midfielder and know they must more than double it to have any hope of signing Dier, who is understood to want the move.
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Manchester United summer transfer targets Nemanja Matic - Chelsea Nemanja Matic has twice worked under Jose Mourinho before and he wants to make it a third time at United. However, after beating Chelsea to Romelu Lukaku, relations between the two clubs have been soured somewhat.
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Manchester United summer transfer targets Gareth Bale - Real Madrid The Real Madrid forward would be a marquee signing, the type that the Manchester United boardroom are keen to make, and The Independent has been told by sources from both United and Madrid that a deal is 'much likelier' than ever before. The player himself though is happy in the Spanish capital. Likelihood: 5/10
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Manchester United summer transfer targets Willian - Chelsea Mourinho is a huge admirer of Willian, who he signed in 2013 while at Chelsea. The pair won a Premier League title and League Cup double together the following year and it is believed that the United manager will do his best to sign the player, who has not been a regular starter in Antonio Conte’s system. Whether Chelsea will allow him to leave, particularly to join Mourinho at their rivals is yet to be seen. Likelihood: 4/10
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Manchester United summer transfer targets Andrea Belotti - Torino Another of Europe’s most promising players, Belotti is fast becoming well-known after his outstanding performances at Torino, where he has scored 37 goals in 64 appearances since 2015. His best years are still ahead of him aged just 23, which contributes to the incredible €100m release clause, applicable only to clubs outside of Italy, negotiated into his contract. Torino are in no hurry to sell and will drive a hard bargain with any deal likely to start at upwards of £70m. Likelihood: 7/10
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Everton’s offer marks a considerable paycut given Rooney currently earns around double, but it is believed he is willing to accept the offer such is the pull of his former club.
Rooney will join Michael Keane, Jordan Pickford, Davy Klaassen, Sandro Ramirez and Henry Onyekuru as part of an extensive summer recruitment drive on the blue half of Merseyside.
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