On Tuesday, Sam Allardyce addressed suggestions that Wayne Rooney would be leaving his boyhood Everton in the summer.

“There are rumours about Wayne going elsewhere abroad – in China and America – but rumours are rumours we won’t find out until Wayne and his agent have been contacted whether he wants to move, but at the moment he is an Everton fan and an Everton player,” Allardyce said.

“So I wouldn’t consider anything on the cards on the moment. It would have to be massive for him to want to leave Everton.”

Those ‘rumours’ originally came the United States with the Washington Post claiming Rooney was close to agreeing a deal with MLS side DC United.

Rather incredibly, those reports have now been backed up by the Daily Mail with the move potentially being that "massive' deal needed to convince him to leave Everton.

They’re reporting that: “Wayne Rooney on Tuesday night appeared to be closing in on a sensational move to Major League Soccer side DC United.”

Rooney’s representative Paul Stretford has been in the USA recently to discuss terms and “talks have been described as positive.”

ROONEY TO THE MLS?

Rooney could make the move ahead of the MLS transfer window opening on July 10 with a potential contract running until the end of the 2020 MLS season.

Whether or not a deal can be agreed remains to be seen but it certainly appears Rooney is close to leaving Everton for the second time.

While there’s no doubting Rooney’s love for Everton, it’s believed he hasn’t got the greatest relationship with current manager Allardyce.

But the former England boss insists he’s keen to see Rooney stay around for next season at Goodison Park.

“Do I want him to stay? Yes,” Allardyce said.

"I’ve not had a problem from day one with Wayne. The Wayne Rooney saga continues on doesn’t it?

“I experienced the Wayne Rooney saga in my short period of time with the England camp, and it’s all: ‘Why is Wayne Rooney doing this, why is he doing that’.

“It’s all very similar here. When Wayne Rooney comes off it’s all: ‘Why did he come
off?’

“Wayne in himself, on a day to day basis, loves his football, he loves training, he wants to play and play well like everybody else.

“Obviously because of who he is there’s ultimately more attention around his body language, about how he plays, about what he is and isn’t doing.

“We all have to deal with that in our own way and I think Wayne deals with it very well indeed.”