When Carlo Ancelotti signed James Rodriguez in summer 2020, blue pyres painted Merseyside blue. Giant pictures of Rodriguez flashed on the Times Square of New York. It was a signing of intent, a statement of sorts that the Toffees are able to attract world class players who can help them bridge the gap between them and the top six.
Even though injury prone, Rodriguez was a world beater who surely sprinkled magic whenever he got onto the field. In 26 games he played for the Royal Blues, the Colombian netted six goals and provided nine assists. The second half of the 2020-21 campaign was largely spent on the sidelines as he recovered from fitness issues but he seemed for than ready for the 2021-22 campaign.
In the summer, Ancelotti left for Real Madrid, leaving a gaping hole to fill. Questions were raised on Rodriguez’s future too as it was Ancelotti’s pulling power that brought the playmaker to Goodison Park.
In a controversial turn of events, in came Rafa Benitez, replacing the Italian at the helm. Benitez had previously ignored Rodriguez when he was at Real Madrid which ultimately led to a fallout between the pair.
James Rodriguez wanted to stay at Everton
From the start, Benitez didn’t include Rodriguez in his plans even though the Colombian had been training dedicatedly. Everton were looking to find a solution to offload the 30 year old as he wasn’t in Benitez’s plans.
After failed attempts to offload him, the Toffees finally managed to get £200,000+ per week wages off their books as Rodriguez departed for Al Rayyan. Interestingly, in an interview, Richarlison questioned Benitez’s decision as he told Rodriguez that he didn’t count on him.
Now, the Colombian himself has made a striking revelation. On Twitch, Rodriguez admitted that he would’ve liked to stay at Everton but the coach didn’t want him
"I would have liked to have been at Everton for much longer. It’s a spectacular club, the fans are incredible, but I ran into a coach who didn’t want to count on me. I wanted to be there. Unfortunately, the coach didn’t want to count on me. (via Fabrizio Romano)"
This certainly once again shifts the attention to Benitez and his poor decisions. He pushed to offload Rodriguez and Lucas Digne, two very experienced and competent players of the squad, leaving the Toffees in a much more deplorable state.
His appointment was a nightmare that could haunt for years to come, especially, if Frank Lampard can’t salvage the side and help them escape relegation.
Would James Rodriguez be a key part of Lampard’s setup had he stayed?