By George Overhill

15th Jul, 2022 | 8:10am

Wayne Rooney tries to tempt Everton target and former teammate Jesse Lingard to DC United

Former Goodison hero Wayne Rooney has made contact with Everton target Jesse Lingard over signing for DC United, 90min reports.

The former Toffees captain has just taken over at the side he played for in MLS after leaving Derby this summer, and has spoken to his former Manchester United teammate about joining him.

Free agent Lingard, 29, is available after leaving Old Trafford upon the expiry his contract and has received an offer from Everton.

Another ex-club captain Kevin Campbell told Goodison News that a move for the former England international was a “no-brainer”, but according to the 90min report they have still not reached the salary expectations of the player.

West Ham are in a similar position and Rooney is looking to take advantage by bringing Lingard with him to the American capital.

Frank Lampard wants more creativity and goal threat from his midfield and has also made a £25million offer for Wolves attacker Morgan Gibbs-White.

Big time

There doesn’t appear to have been any shortage of interest in Lingard but in all cases so far it has been a wage standoff that has put a halt to progression towards signing.

It suggests he is overvaluing himself otherwise a club would have landed him by now, especially since it was essentially common knowledge that he was due to become a free agent for months.

When a player doesn’t require a transfer fee some of the difference is expected to go towards improved wages, but agreement has still yet to be reached.

Lingard is certainly a talented player and he could offer something from the midfield that Lampard’s team were lacking at times during the 2021/22 season.

But following a very impressive loan spell at West Ham in the second half of the 2020/21 season his career has stalled somewhat after being routinely left out by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick back in Manchester.

It was somewhat expected that he would immediately return to pick up his previously successful relationship with David Moyes, but since that hasn’t happened time is moving on and he risks being left behind when he finally does sign somewhere.

Perhaps he just wants a new challenge entirely since it seems unlikely that he would get higher wages in the US than the Premier League.

He is within his rights to value himself higher than the current offers, but if it means he ends up in a less suitable situation such as the one under Lampard it could make more sense to reduce his expectations slightly.