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James to Everton links return

By Matt Townsend

MADRID, SPAIN - FEBRUARY 06: James Rodriguez of Real Madrid in action during the Quarter Final of Copa del Rey match between Real Madrid and Real Sociedad at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on February 6, 2020 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images)
MADRID, SPAIN - FEBRUARY 06: James Rodriguez of Real Madrid in action during the Quarter Final of Copa del Rey match between Real Madrid and Real Sociedad at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on February 6, 2020 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images) /
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One more Real Madrid transfer story for you today as another unsettled player at the Bernabau, James Rodriguez, is reportedly very keen on reuniting with Everton manager Carlo Ancelotti.

He’s apparently determined, if possible, to make a move to Everton in the summer to be reunited with the Blues boss, even if that means he turns down other more glamorous clubs, one of which its claimed are the Toffees Premier League rivals Arsenal.

Rodriguez has been quoted as saying he is desperate to be back playing under the Italian with whom he had such a great relationship when Ancelotti was in charge at Real Madrid.

Well this is a story that bobbed along during the January transfer window and it’s returned again now as we continue with our season sabbatical.

Like Gareth Bale, the Colombian international hasn’t found a regular place in the Real Madrid side recently and has been very much a fringe player for quite a while now.

Rodriguez was a player who burst onto the scene in spectacular fashion at the 2014 World Cup with some spectacular performances for Colombia.

Those performances got him a big money move from Monaco to Spanish giants Real Madrid. And when Ancelotti was managing Los Blancos, Rodriguez played a significant part in the team, although once Ancelotti left and Zinedine Zidane took over, he was less involved.

Now he seems to have been largely frozen out by Zidane on his return to the Bernabau, and it would seem that the Spanish club would be ready to consider offers for him.

So would a move for Rodriguez make sense for Everton?

We’ve obviously looked at this before and there is no doubt that the Colombian is a seriously talented and still a potentially superb player.

From that basis alone he would surely represent a significant step-up in terms of the quality in the current Blues squad.

However as with his Real Madrid team-mate Bale, Rodriguez is a little on the older side, although at 28 he’s two years younger than the Welshman and is theoretically at his peak.

Also like Bale, Rodriguez wages would probably be a stumbling block to any move as he’s likely to be on something approaching Bale’s level of pay.

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I think that if Rodriguez is available at a reasonable fee, (a big if), and perhaps if a deal could be done over those wages, then it could be a transfer that would make sense and represent that much-vaunted ‘marquee’ statement signing for the club.

There are also stories that another player strongly being linked to Everton, Lorenzo Pellegrini, might be secured for a significantly reduced fee due to some clauses in his contract.

It seems that the Roma star could be bought for something like £13 million up front with subsequent payments over the following few seasons.

If all that is indeed the case, then a move for Pellegrini would make sense given his attacking qualities, versatility and age.

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