Wayne Rooney, Romelu Lukaku Talks Reportedly Held by Manchester United, Everton

Everton are reportedly ready to intensify their interest in Manchester United captain Wayne Rooney, with the two clubs also said to have held talks about Toffees forward Romelu Lukaku. 

According to Paul Joyce of The Times, "Everton's desire to strike a deal for the 31-year-old is now clear" although there is still work to be done on a possible move, with the United man's £250,000-a-week wages representing a potential stumbling block.

Joyce also suggested Lukaku has come up in talks between the two clubs. "The situation has been discussed over the past week and the clubs have also been talking about Lukaku, who is wanted by both United and Chelsea," he continued.

Reports of United's potential interest in Lukaku come after suggestions Chelsea are growing frustrated in their pursuit of the Belgium international. According to David Anderson of the Daily Mirror, the Blues are finding it tough to move Diego Costa on, which is holding up their chase for the Everton man.

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While suggestions Lukaku could return to Chelsea are cooling, the prospect of a Rooney reunion with Everton is heating up.

It was reported by TalkSport on Monday that a deal was "almost inevitable" for the England captain, who left the Toffees in 2004 to join United. At Old Trafford he has become the club's all-time record goalscorer, won five Premier League titles and the UEFA Champions League.

A trophy with his boyhood club would mean a lot, though, and it appears Everton are preparing themselves for a big push next season. As we can see, the Toffees have been busy early in the transfer window:

So far, Ronald Koeman's side have landed dynamic young players on an upward trajectory in their career. Rooney would be a little different.

The 31-year-old struggled for form last term and was dropped early in the season by manager Jose Mourinho. Rooney never earned a regular place back in the side and struggled to make an impact on many matches.

Still, if he were to move on, United would need to add more firepower up front. Lukaku, potentially, would bring that. Per Squawka Football, he was a goal machine last term:

For United, he would be a fine acquisition. So often in 2016-17, Mourinho watched his side spurn fantastic opportunities after neat approach play, resulting in far too many draws and points dropped, especially on home soil.

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While Rooney wouldn't be the most costly acquisition for Everton at this late stage in his career, the Red Devils would have to part with some serious money to land Lukaku. As reported by Matt Law of the Daily Telegraph, the Toffees value their No. 10 at £100 million.

Still, with his best years ahead of him and a proven track record in the Premier League, the 24-year-old would potentially be a quick fix to a chronic problem for United.