Brands is set to prioritise extending Rodriguez’s contract with Everton
Director of Football Marcel Brands is determined to extend James Rodriguez’s contract with Everton this summer, according to a report from Colombia.
The former Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Porto playmaker joined the Toffees on a free transfer in the summer, penning a two-year contract with an option for a third year.
Rodriguez has been a hugely influential figure on Merseyside this season, scoring six times and registered a further five assists in the Premier League for the Blues.
James’ contract is currently set to expire in the summer of 2022, but Brands is already keen to push the expiry date to 2023, having been impressed with his contributions this season.
This comes from Colombian outlet Marca, who claim that Everton will consider sorting the former World Cup Golden Boot winner’s future out to be a priority this summer.
The Toffees consider James to be central to their plans going forward, with Carlo Ancelotti hoping to lead the club into the Champions League, and Everton want to ensure that the Colombia international is around for that.
Smart move
Though on reflection it might seem farcical, there were a number of question marks hanging over James’ head when he made the move to Goodison Park last summer.
There had been debate over whether he would be fit enough to have a real impact for the Blues, or whether he still possessed the ability to contribute in a meaningful way, and that mostly stems from the disbelief that a player of his calibre had agree to join Everton.
Over the course of the season we’ve come to see that James is arguably the most talented player to ever pull on an Everton shirt, and he has been a marvel to watch on a number of occasions, with BBC Football head Phil McNulty praising his “absolutely class“.
Despite the fact that he is set to turn 30 prior to next season, the only correct move for Everton would be to seek a contract extension.
Having a player like James in the squad says something about the club and where it has ambition to go, but more than that, we desperately need to keep players like him around the match-day squad, because he’s far too important to lose.
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