Everton attacker James Rodriguez is unlikely to move to Turkey
James Rodriguez is unlikely to move to Turkey despite him being reportedly keen on leaving Everton this summer.
The Colombia international was subject to interest from clubs in Spain, Italy and Portugal in the window, but failed to get his move and stayed put at Goodison Park.
Per the Athletic’s Everton correspondent Greg O’Keeffe, his wages were a massive stumbling block, and does not see him moving to Turkey amid recent reports.
Speaking to Mark Chapman on The Athletic Football Podcast [07/09/21], O’Keeffe said: “He is the highest earner at the club. It’s [his wages] probably nearer to £250,000-a-week when everything’s factored in.
“Regarding a move to Turkey, you can’t rule it out. It’s an interesting one. No club in Turkey can offer his wages and there won’t be a transfer fee.
“Everton don’t expect it either. They just want his wages off the books.
“Not sure I can see him going to Turkey, because if he was fine with a wage cut then he could’ve gone to FC Porto, but you never know.”
An unnecessary hindrance
James arrived on Merseyside with plenty of fanfare and will, unfortunately, be leaving as a disgruntled player who’s got his head elsewhere.
He was always going to be a luxury player and Carlo Ancelotti signed onto it when he got him to the club.
Under Rafa Benitez, things work slightly differently and he expects every player to put in a shift off the ball.
The 30-year-old, for all his attacking exploits, is not the best in terms of defending, and it’s something that Benitez is well aware of, which is why he seems keen on offloading the player.
However, a move to Turkey does not seem feasible at the moment, and it’s best that he stays at the club until the January window.
Then the Toffees can reassess the situation and see what they want to do with the player.
In other Everton news, ‘Obscene’, ‘Greedy’ – Super Fans want first-team player gone after recent development
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