KENWRIGHT HOPEFUL OVER ROONEY
Everton owner Bill Kenwright has admitted that selling Wayne Rooney would help the club´s financial situation, but he is hopeful of keeping the teenage striker.
The Toffees have offered Rooney a new five-year deal to extend his stay at Goodison Park and are waiting to hear if he will accept it or not.
A number of clubs including Manchester United, Chelsea and Real Madrid are all thought to be monitoring Rooney´s situation and could be ready to tempt him from Everton.
Kenwright accepts that cashing in on Rooney would ease their debts, but he is still keen to keep hold of the England star.
" Certainly a sale of Wayne Rooney would revitalise the club´s finances, but a five-year contract would also revitalise the club because the fact is we would have kept one of the major stars of world football," Kenwright told Sky Sports News.
" It is a double-edged sword and I know which I want to happen. The facts are that he hasn´t asked for a transfer, and we would like him to stay.
" He´s got two years left on his contract, and that situation cannot continue forever.
" You cannot allow a player like Wayne to go into the last year of his contract and lose a major asset, as happened with Steve McManaman ( when he left Liverpool for Real Madrid).
" David ( Moyes) and I will be personally dealing with it [Rooney´s future] in the next week or so."
Kenwright also dismissed suggestions of unrest from David Moyes at Goodison Park over the club´s finances following the shock resignation of Trevor Birch as chief executive.
" I don´t know of any power struggle. It´s absolute nonsense. I am not interested in power and control. All I want is for my club to do well," added Kenwright.
" As for there being crisis talks between me and David, I don´t know where that comes from.
" David and I were always going to spend yesterday talking about budgets and new signings.
" Obviously we spent a couple of minutes talking about Trevor´s departure - but we speak the same language."
Meanwhile, Everton have announced that Under-19 goalkeeper Alex Cole has tragically died after a fatal car accident.