Wayne Rooney could be headed back to where it all began as Everton plot a summer move for the Man United striker.

The football world's gossip mill is in full swing, and Transfer Talk is monitoring the whispers ahead of all the summer moves. Check out the latest deals and potential deals here.

Everton to hit the market in top-four push

Everton manager Ronald Koeman, whose side's excellent season continued as they defeated Burnley to notch an eighth successive Premier League home win Saturday, is setting his sights onward and upward.

Koeman has said he wants to augment the Merseysiders' team across the departments and pledged that they will be a "stronger" force next season.

The Liverpool Echo reports that he feels a good summer window will see them challenging for the top four next season.

Key targets, it says, will include former Evertonian Wayne Rooney, Swansea midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson and defenders Michael Keane, of Burnley, and Southampton's Virgil van Dijk. Sunderland goalkeeper Jordan Pickford is another name in the frame.

But there could yet be one significant outgoing, with recent reports suggesting midfielder Ross Barkley is a £35 million target for Manchester United.

Koeman is reportedly ready to sell England international Barkley if he declines to accept a new contract worth £100,000 a week.

Barcelona keen on Deulofeu return

How interested are Barcelona in re-signing winger Gerard Deulofeu from Everton? Very interested indeed, says the Mail.

Deulofeu has been on loan at AC Milan since January and produced a string of impressive performances, earning a recall to the Spain squad.

The deal that saw him move from the Camp Nou to Goodison Park contains a buy-back clause, which is thought to stand at around £10 million.

And Barca sporting director Robert Fernandez has said activating it "is absolutely an option for the future."

London duo thwarted in Johnson pursuit

West Ham United and Crystal Palace had been hopeful of signing Stoke City defender Glen Johnson -- but Potters boss Mark Hughes has thwarted those hopes, according to the Telegraph.

It reports that England international Johnson is close to finalising a new one-year deal after Hughes "moved to prevent him leaving on a free transfer."

The 32-year-old is out of contract at the end of the season and London rivals West Ham and Palace had both been monitoring his situation.

Meanwhile, Stoke could soon start contract talks with long-serving centre-back Ryan Shawcross. Leicester City, West Bromwich Albion and Newcastle United are all interested in him, the Telegraph says.

Tap-ins

- Teenage KAS Eupen forward Henry Onyekuru is likely to be a sought-after player in the summer -- Liverpool, Bournemouth, Southampton, West Bromwich Albion and Celtic are all interested in him, the Mirror says.

It reports that West Brom and Celtic are the two favourites, with Celtic having had a £1 million bid for the 19-year-old turned down by the Belgian club in January.

According to the report, the Scottish champions are going to make another bid for 15-goal Onyekuru -- now rated at closer to £7 million -- but will have to stave off competition from West Brom if they are to succeed this time around.

- Newcastle United are on the brink of a return to the Premier League and manager Rafa Benitez is already thinking ahead to the window, says the Chronicle.

It reports that Benitez wants to bring Nottingham Forest midfielder Ben Osborn, linked with Newcastle over the winter, to St James' Park.

Osborn, 22, is also interesting Swansea and Burnley, but the fact that he is under contract until 2020 means interested parties may have to pay big money, the Chronicle adds.

Source:
courtesy of ESPNFC

by CHRIS BORG

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