Everton and AC Milan to begin negotiations over James Rodriguez next week
Everton will start negotiations next week with AC Milan over the transfer of James Rodriguez, according to Colombian journalist Pipe Sierra.
Sierra first reported last week (22/06/21) that the 29-year-old’s super agent Jorge Mendes had offered his client to the Serie A giants, as well as Napoli and Atletico Madrid.
There have been further reports that Rodriguez is ready to quit Goodison Park this summer [Daily Mail] and Sierra, a sports journalist for Win Sports TV, who boast over 1.5million followers on Twitter, has delivered another update.
Sierra wrote on his personal Twitter profile on Monday evening: “AC Milan are interested in the Colombian midfielder James Rodríguez and have made it known to his representative Jorge Mendes.
“Negotiations with Everton will start next week.”
Early exit
Rodriguez signed for the Blues from Real Madrid last year on a two-year deal, with the option of a further year. [BBC]
Given his age, we weren’t expecting a decade of service at the club, nor even half of that.
But we thought he’d be committed for at least the two-year duration of his initial contract, before perhaps moving on elsewhere.
But it looks like his stay on Merseyside is coming to an abrupt end, and he won’t depart on the best of terms after a torrid second half of the 2020/21 season.
After lighting up the first handful of games of the season to help inspire us to the top of the Premier League, Rodriguez’s influence on the team waned and he began to pick up niggling injuries during the winter period.
He missed five of our last six games of the season as we laboured to a 10th-placed finish, and he ended the campaign with just 22 Premier League appearances.
Truth to be told, his expected departure won’t be greeted with sadness by many Blues.
On his day he’s one of the best creative talents around, but we haven’t seen enough of those days, and with Carlo Ancelotti now gone, he has lost his number one fan at the club.
There needs to be a rebuild of sorts at the club, and sacrificing Rodriguez to bring in a pacey winger on the right-hand side would suit all parties.
In other Everton news, 29y/o launches stinging attack on Carlo Ancelotti ahead of Blues exit.
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