Everton confirm Rooney exit

Everton today confirmed Wayne Rooney was on his way to Manchester United.

The 18-year-old England striker, who had also been targeted by Newcastle, was undergoing a medical at United’s Carrington training complex following tests at a Manchester hospital earlier this morning.

The two clubs have yet to officially confirm a transfer fee, United having increased their bid to £25m (€37m) over the weekend.

Transfers involving money or fees must be completed before 3.30pm, although players can still be signed on loan until the European deadline at midnight.

Rooney is currently out of action after breaking his foot at Euro 2004. But that would not appear to have deterred United from getting their man, who arrived at the training complex with United’s club doctor Mike Stone.

Rooney was not in the stands at Old Trafford when Everton drew with United yesterday but arrived in Manchester less than 24 hours later.

He hit out at Everton at the weekend for the response to his transfer request last week and said he was “gutted” at the situation at the club.

Fans at Goodison jeered the absent teenager during their team’s 2-1 win against West Brom after he demanded a move.

Newcastle bid £20m (€30m), and then £23.5m (€35m) for the Croxteth-born player who has scored 17 goals for the Toffees since arriving in the Premiership spectacularly two years ago.

But the departure of manager Sir Bobby Robson yesterday, plus the fact the Magpies could only offer UEFA Cup football compared to the lure of Champions League action at Old Trafford, would appear to have swayed Rooney away from the north-east.

United failed with their first bid of £20m before increasing their offer over the weekend.

The teenager’s reputation – and consequently his transfer value – rocketed in the summer when he was the star of England’s otherwise unremarkable Euro 2004 campaign, until breaking the fifth metatarsal bone in his right foot in the quarter-final defeat against hosts Portugal.