Wayne Rooney hasn’t been at the peak of his powers for some time now.

The Manchester United legend scored just 37 goals in 117 appearances across all competitions during his final three years at Old Trafford.

Compared to his 84-strike haul between 2009 and 2012, those numbers all but confirmed Rooney would be better off seeing out his career away from the Theatre of Dreams.

A romantic return to Everton after 13 years seemed a logical move for the then 31-year-old, and it’s difficult to accuse him of failing to deliver what was expected of him.

Rooney finished the 2017-18 campaign on top of the Toffees’ Premier League scoring charts with a solid ten goals from 32 outings.

However, unless he somehow captured his form of the late 2000s, the former England international’s future was always going to be in doubt come this summer.

His case wasn’t helped by the appointment of an unfamiliar manager in Marco Silva - who replaced Sam Allardyce at the end of his six-month tenure.

EVERTON ARE REBUILDING

As further Evidence of Everton’s desire to rebuild, the club also hired a new director of football - Marcel Brands - back in May.

Speaking about his eagerness to work with Silva, the former PSV man said: “One of the most important things is that he's a guy who wants to play attractive, attacking football and also wants to work in the structure we have at Everton,” per Sky Sports.

"He's a guy who has proved already that he wants to work with young players, make them better and he has performed very well with the teams he's worked with. He will be a very good manager for Everton.”

Whether or not their ambition translates to spending £180 million on new signings as they did 12 months ago, what does it mean for most the current squad?

Well, for Rooney, the outlook isn’t good.

The Mirror claims Silva has made it clear the veteran striker isn’t among his plans, giving him the green light to seal his proposed switch to MLS outfit DC United.

The ex-Hull boss is understood to feel Rooney “is no longer good enough” after his strong start to last season faded into a goalless run from December onwards.

Interestingly, the report also indicates Silva has already identified the man he wants to replace the prodigal son of Goodison Park.

The Portuguese tactician is pushing his employers to land Norwich’s James Maddison off the back of his stunning debut campaign in the Championship last term.

The 21-year-old - who contributed 15 goals and eight assists - is believed to be valued at around £25 million.