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What Can You Buy For £27,000,000?
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Posted by: forwardone
Manchester - Wayne Rooney became a Manchester United player on Tuesday night despite a last-minute hold-up caused by the state of his broken foot.
About 10 hours after he first went to Manchester to finalise the deal on transfer deadline day, United finally announced a deal worth £27-million (R324-million) to Everton.
But Rooney needed two visits to a Manchester hospital for checks on how his broken foot was healing. Rooney suffered a broken metatarsal bone in his right foot playing against Portugal at Euro 2004 in June and is out of action for at least another month.
United announced the move on Tuesday night after they had passed on the details to the Stock Exchange.
"Manchester United is delighted to announce that it has finalised an agreement with Everton Football Club for the transfer of Wayne Rooney," the club said in a statement.
"Wayne has signed a six-year contract until 30 June 2010.
"The fee payable to Everton is £20-million (R240-million). Half is due now, with half due on August 1, 2005. In addition there are contingent payments to Everton over the next five years up to a maximum of £7-million (R84-million), dependent on club success, the player renewing his contract and his appearances at international level."
The move, which had been pending for nearly two weeks, was sealed with time running out on transfer deadline day.
Everton announced during the morning that the 18-year-old England striker went to United's Carrington training complex after earlier tests at a Manchester hospital.
United then issued a statement to the Stock Exchange suggesting that the agreement was dependent on the player's fitness.
"Manchester United plc has reached an outline agreement with Everton FC for the transfer of the registration of Wayne Rooney, subject to his successful completion of a medical," the statement said.
"Details of the agreement will be announced when all terms are complete."
Rooney was photographed alongside a smiling United manager, Alex Ferguson, walking alongside the Old Trafford pitch. But he later left the stadium and returned to hospital for further checks on the broken foot.
Despite the problems over the injury, while United clearly felt it was worth spending a major fee on a talented striker who could bring back the league title and even Champions League success.
United are already seven points behind big title rivals ****nal and Chelsea in the championship race having won just one of their first four matches.
Rooney was one the biggest stars of Euro 2004 with four goals until he suffered his injury against hosts Portugal in the quarter-final. England lost the match in a penalty shootout.
Rooney will be competing with Dutch star Ruud van Nistelrooy, Frenchman Louis Saha and England's Alan Smith for a place the United team.
Van Nistelrooy has not played so far because of a knee injury and United have made a poor start to the campaign.
Ferguson's team, coincidentally held 0-0 by Everton at Old Trafford on Monday, have won just five points from four matches and are seven behind defending champions ****nal and Chelsea who have each gained a maximum 12 points.
Everton had hoped to keep a young striker who made his league debut at age 16 for the Toffees and scored a memorable, match-winning goal against ****nal two seasons ago.
But Newcastle and Manchester United each made bids to lure the young striker away from Goodison Park and Rooney angered the Everton fans by making a written transfer request, saying he wanted to play for a team in the Champions League. - Sapa-AP