How will Everton line up with Wayne Rooney after forward's transfer from Manchester United?

It is a sentimental move from the Goodison Park club. The question is, how could it work?

Wayne Rooney has returned to Everton, his boyhood club, bringing an end to 13 long years of success at Manchester United.

It is, undeniably, a sentimental move from Everton, who have re-signed the most talented player to have ever come through the club’s ranks.

The question is, will it work? Rooney is, of course, not a like-for-like replacement for Romelu Lukaku, who is set to make the reverse move and swap Goodison Park for Old Trafford in the coming days.

Is he even a forward anymore? There has been an interminable debate about Rooney’s best position for years now, meaning it is not quite clear where he will fit into Ronald Koeman’s side.

So, assuming that Lukaku leaves, a suitor is found for Ross Barkley and long-term absentees Seamus Coleman and Yannick Bolasie are fit again, how could Everton line up next season?

4-2-3-1

Pickford; Coleman, Keane, Williams, Baines; Gueye, Schneiderlin; Bolasie, Klaassen, Rooney; Sandro.

Koeman used this formation more than any other last season this time around, it would allow him to field almost all of his players who will expect first-team football next season.

Rooney, however, would probably be shunted out on the left of the three behind Sandro, with £23.6m summer signing Davy Klaassen operating centrally in his preferred position.

That role is, arguably, also Rooney’s best role, but it is hard to see how he would play it in a 4-2-3-1 with Klaassen also involved.

3-4-2-1

Pickford; Keane, Williams, Jagielka; Coleman, Gueye, Schneiderlin, Baines; Rooney, Klaassen; Sandro.

Koeman adopted last season’s vogue formation at times and it would, in theory, allow him to field both of Everton’s big outfield summer signings on the same pitch.

Rooney would play between the lines but so would Klaassen, with both able to slip through front-man Sandro.

Three-at-the-back would also allow captain Phil Jagielka some minutes, but Yannick Bolasie has no obvious route into this line-up unless he can unseat one of Everton’s two wing-backs and, in turn, learn how to protect a whole flank by himself. That seems unlikely.

Much may depend on how Klaassen is used (Getty)

4-3-3

Pickford; Coleman, Keane, Williams, Baines; Gueye, Schneiderlin, Klaassen; Bolasie, Rooney, Sandro.

4-3-3 is another option and, like the similar 4-2-3-1, it would afford give minutes to most of those in Koeman’s squad who expect to be regular starters.

By nature though, it would not feature a No 10, meaning both Klaassen and Rooney would take on slightly different roles. While Klaassen could provide direct running from a central midfield role alongside Idrissa Gueye and Morgan Schneiderlin, Rooney would have to play up front.

Rooney, of course, is not an out-and-out frontman anymore, but he learned how to play as a ‘false nine’ effectively after Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure from Old Trafford in 2009. His first touch and athleticism have suffered in recent years, but his link-up play remains good enough for a side with Everton’s expectations.

Could he play up front, drop a little deeper and concentrate on slotting Bolasie and Sandro, cutting inside off the left and right, through on goal?