Manchester United are expected increase their bid for Everton’s Wayne Rooney to £25m.
Newcastle’s £23.5m bid was rejected by Everton, and the Merseyside club may now be offered £25m plus a player by Manchester United.
Newcastle, however, are not out of the race as reports suggests they may offer a package involving Shola Ameobi.
United boss Ferguson earlier revealed his desire to land Rooney.
“We have made our intentions clear we would like the boy,” said Ferguson.
“Rooney’s a fabulous player – he showed that at Euro 2004 – and is a young player.”
“He’s not the finished article yet, but we’ve got experience of bringing young players to the club and bringing them on.”
But it has also been reported that Newcastle are willing to go as high as £28m to the England striker who was one of the revelations of Euro 2004.
Rooney has so far refused to sign a new five-year contract worth £50,000-a-week and the suspicion is that he will leave before next Tuesday’s transfer deadline.
But Everton chairman Bill Kenwright claims Evertoon don;t want to sell and that a final decision is down to manager David Moyes.
“Whatever happens with the sale, if it happens, it will be down to the manager,” he said.
“It’s the manager’s final decision.”
He added: “I would love him to be at Everton when he’s a granddad. I can’t tell you if he will be at Everton next week.
“We don’t need to sell Wayne Rooney, we do not need to sell him.”
