Carlton Palmer: Rafa Benitez will hold talks with James Rodriguez about Everton stay
Everton midfielder James Rodriguez is in the last 12 months of his contract, and Carlton Palmer believes Rafa Benitez would hold talks with him.
The Colombian has been linked with following Carlo Ancelotti out of Goodison Park, with AC Milan recently linked with an interest [Marca].
Rodriguez, 30, is currently with the rest of the Toffees squad on the pre-season tour of the US, but it remains to be seen whether he would be a part of the team when the new Premier League campaign resumes.
Palmer reckons Benitez cannot afford to lose such a talented player, telling Football Fan Cast: “I’m sure Rafa is going to sit down with him and talk. He had a lot of injuries in the second half of the season, and I believe he’s the highest-paid player at the football club.
“He’s a talented player, so I’m sure Rafa will sit down and talk to him, maybe he’s got over his injuries.
“The one thing you don’t want to do as a football manager, you don’t want to let good players leave the building if you can help it.”
Possibly
Rodriguez ended last season with six goals and four assists in 23 Premier League appearances, with a large chunk of them coming in the first half of the campaign.
However, his form fell off during the second half of the season, with injuries taking their toll on him.
On his day, the former Real Madrid star is one of the best midfielders in the English top-flight, but we believe he would need to produce the goods on a consistent basis to convince Benitez.
Both did not particularly get along during their brief together at the Santiago Bernabeu, and it could be tough for things to work out at Everton.
Nevertheless, that cannot be ruled out, and we are curious to see what happens in the coming weeks of the summer transfer window.
Rodriguez penning a new deal is something that cannot be ruled out should he remain on Merseyside after the window shuts, but not many fans are optimistic about his chances of staying behind.
Everton really could do with a fit version of the Colombian for a full season, and that would surely boost our top-six chances.
Nothing is certain at the moment, though, and we all have to wait and see what the future holds for both parties in the short and long terms.
In other Everton news, Benitez reveals 30y/o Toffees man wants to play for England again after major development.
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