As the January transfer window opens, the rumours that Everton are interested in trying to sign James Rodriguez from Real Madrid are building.
This sort of signing is exactly the kind of high-profile move for such players that Everton will now be increasingly linked with as the payoff from hiring Carlo Ancelotti as manager.
The Liverpool Echo claim that the club are making serious moves and are ‘in talks’ to secure the signing of the Colombian midfielder. Ancelotti is also thought to be a strong admirer of the player.
Whether Rodriguez would first of all move to England and Goodison Park, even with Ancelotti in post, or if he would even be the right sort of player for the Blues, are open questions.
What such transfer rumours though do show, is the step change in who the Toffees can aspire to try to attract to the club.
Of course it’s not just Ancelotti, but also the fact that in order to secure his appointment, Everton have had to promise him serious financial resources to sign his sort of player. Money talks.
Nevertheless, rumours about a player like Rodriguez possibly joining the Blues indicates that we might be seeing the club moving at last into competing for the top echelon of transfer targets.
Everton signing a player from Real Madrid, even if he hasn’t regularly made the grade at the Spanish giants, is something that I never really thought I’d see.
Although he hasn’t had the best of times in the Spanish capital, it might be that he could thrive with a new challenge. After all look at what impact Philippe Coutinho made for them lot across the park, when he was signed for peanuts from Inter Milan.
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The South American is a versatile midfield attacker and obviously a talented footballer. He can play wide left or right and through the middle. If he were to come to the Toffees, he would surely improve the creative and goal scoring options the Blues have.
While signing another central defender and possibly a centre midfielder, are probably the priorities for this transfer window, if the Blues can capture Rodriguez for a quote ‘reasonable’ fee, that would be a statement signing.
The defeat by Manchester City yesterday, showed how much work there is still to do for the Toffees to compete at the top against teams like that.
Players of this calibre are surely exactly who Everton should be tracking and chasing as they attempt to build a squad that can aspire to win prizes in the Premier League.