Sky Sports pundit Charlie Nicholas has tipped Newcastle United as a potential destination for Wayne Rooney if he leaves Manchester United this summer.
The former Arsenal player says he doesn’t see the England captain moving back to former club Everton as manager Ronald Koeman has no place for him in his starting lineup.
Nicholas is quoted as saying (via the Chronicle) that a move to the United States is the most likely, although a switch to the Magpies would also be a possibility if the North East club clinch promotion back to the Premier League:
“I don’t think so (going back to Everton), there is no bigger fan of Rooney than me but I don’t think that is a step forward. It’s sentimental and I don’t think football has a lot of space for that. That is why I said last week that I could see him go to America. I could maybe see somebody like if Newcastle came up, a big club making a big signing.”
Rooney has struggled for game time under Jose Mourinho this season with the Portuguese favouring the lone striker of Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Whether Rafa Benitez would consider a move for the 31 year old in the summer would be the main question, in addition to whether Rooney is considering staying in the Premier League or moving abroad for one last pay day before his retirement.
